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A prolonged land dispute between residents of Jaji in Kaduna State and the Military Cantonment in the area has climaxed following the eviction and demolition of houses by soldiers.
Residents said the soldiers, last Friday night, stormed the community in the Igabi Local Government Area and flattened several homes, despite a court order restraining them from the demolition. The exercise left scores of residents homeless and traumatised.
But the army denied the allegations.
Residents of several communities in the area, including Ungwan Yohanna, Ungwan Aboki, Sabon Ungwan Loya, Ungwan Railway, and Ungwan Alhassan, have been locked in a land dispute with the military cantonment since 2020.
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The dispute started after the army constructed a perimeter fence around the Jaji Military Cantonment. Residents protested that the fence encroaches on their farmland and ancestral homes. They accused the military of unlawful occupation and seizure of their land without due process and legal compensation.
Justice Hannatu Balogun of the Kaduna State High Court reportedly restrained construction activities and instructed the army to allow residents access to their lands.
However, counsel to the community, Kimi Appah, told reporters that the Nigerian Army allegedly ignored the court orders and demolished structures in the areas and arrested some of the residents in alleged violation of the court order.
Mr Appah said some of his clients informed him that several houses have been demolished without notice or compensation, and community members detained—actions he described as “intimidation” and “unlawful occupation.”
Mr Appah called on the federal government, the Chief of Defence Staff, and the Chief of Army Staff to intervene as he urged the military to respect the rule of law and cease all unauthorised actions against the communities.
He demanded the enforcement of court orders, a halt to demolitions, and the release of those detained.
Army’s response
However, the army stated it had not demolished the structures under contention before the court.
The spokesperson for the cantonment, Olusegun Abidoye, a captain, on Saturday, said the army only dismantled drug cartels and arrested suspected dealers operating in communities within areas under the cantonment.
He said the arrested suspects were handed over to the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further action, according to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Mr Abidoye said the army authorities were concerned about the exponential rise in social vices, particularly drug trafficking and substance abuse, in the demolished communities.
“These include Railway settlement, Unguwan Loya, Unguwan Aboki, Unguwan Alhaji and Unguwan Alasan.
“These communities, while offering informal support services to the cantonment, also pose significant security and social risks.
“Some of the areas occupied by these settlements overlap with areas earmarked as training areas, thereby exposing both the residents and personnel to physical danger during field exercises involving live ammunition”, Mr Abidoye said.
He added that intelligence reports and internal assessments had highlighted the presence of organised drug cartels operating from within the settlements.
According to him, this is contributing to a disturbing increase in substance abuse cases among both the children of soldiers living within the cantonment and civilians.
He said the military authorities had to conduct an investigation and field surveillance, during which they confirmed the existence of extensive drug networks, particularly within Railway settlement and Unguwan Loya.
“These cartels are reportedly operated by over 15 identified individuals involved in the trafficking, sale, and distribution of illegal drugs within and outside the cantonment.
“Some of the common substances trafficked include Indian hemp, skunk, Exol, ice (Crystal meth), crack cocaine, tramadol, and other psychotropic drugs”, Mr Abidoye said.
He said the arrest of some members of the cartels was to stem the disturbing rise in drug abuse in the area.
On the alleged demolition of civilian properties reported by some online media platforms, Mr Abidoye said the claim was bereft of truth and an attempt to “spite the image of the military” as no such exercise was conducted by the cantonment.
Mr Abidoye explained that the disputed land was currently a subject of litigation, and the cantonment has been obeying the court order to maintain the status quo.
He alleged that the plaintiffs violated the court order by constructing new buildings and allowing a construction company to excavate laterite from the disputed land.
Mr Abidoye said the cantonment had to file an interlocutory injunction to restrain the plaintiffs and the construction company from further excavating or mining laterite from the land pending the conclusion of the court case.
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He said the cantonment relocated some businesses to a centralised market to ensure proper surveillance and enhance security.
On the alleged disconnection of electricity to communities within the cantonment, Mr Abidoye said the military has no hand in it.
The Jaji Military Cantonment is a critical hub for the Nigerian Armed Forces, housing various institutions, including the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Headquarters, Infantry Corps Centre, Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre, the Warrant Officers’ Academy, and the Nigerian Army School of Infantry.
The cantonment also hosts key operational units, including the 4 Demonstration and 601 Aviation Battalions.
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