By Muhammad Ibrahim, Sokoto
The Sokoto State High Court has scheduled Oct. 11, for hearing land dispute case filed by communities surrounding BUA Cement Company against the company and the Sokoto State Government as well.
The trial Judge, Justice Kabiru Muhammad, made the adjournment to enable the Respondents Counsels to prepare in the suit.
At the sitting, Counsel to the state government happened to be absent, and request was made by Mr Abdulrahman Wasahu, the company’s Counsel, for more time to prepare.
In the statement of claim filed in the court, the Plaintiff Counsel, Mr Kasimu Sauwa, prayed the court to interprete the alleged attempt by the company to takeover land within the communities in line with the Land Use Act.
Sauwa said the Act specified that government can takeover land belonging to anybody when there is overriding public interest.
However, in this case, BUA is a private profit making company with share shareholders.
“As such we want the court to interprete whether BUA as a profit making company has the right to forcefully acquire land for commercial purposes,” he said.
The Counsel further prayed the court to declare the intends of the company to take possession by starting demarcations on their land as null and void.
The host communities that filed the suit are, Runjin Biyo, Asare, Gidan Dan kaiwa, Kaura Kimba, Gidan Shibkau and Maciya in Wamakko local government area of the state.
