A Move To End Bloody Boundary Disputes In Niger State

Many cases of boundary disputes have led to loss of lives and property across Nigeria. Niger State has its share of such disputes.

Notable among this disputes in recent years was the land dispute between Katcha in Katcha local government area and Kpata Katcha in Mokwa Local government area.

Similarly there was also land dispute among the people of Doko community in Lavun local government area, this has lingered for years and claimed several lives and property.

These disputes have continued to cause apprehension among the people who ordinarily should live as a community that the African society is known for.

To curtail this many people have called for a sustainable dispute resolution mechanism by the government , believing that without decisive steps by the government the situation will continue to linger.

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In view of this, Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago recently inaugurated a 21 member Committee on State Boundary to resolve boundary issues across the 25 Local Government Areas of the State.

The governor inaugurated the Committee headed by the deputy governor, Comrade Yakubu Garba, during the State Executive Council meeting last week at the Government House Minna .

He said the committee was to be saddled with the responsibility for the future generations to enable residents coexist and live peacefully.

Bago who acknowledged that the State is faced with the issues of insecurity and inter communal clashes, said the role of traditional institutions in this regard cannot be over emphasised as the State Government looked forward to the Royal fathers to make sure that the exercise becomes successful.

The governor assured the Committee that the State Government will provide all the necessary support, security and logistics to ensure the final conclusion of the Committee’s work while also revealing that members can reach out to him when the need arises

He advised the Committee members to look at Inter Emirate Boundary issues as their preliminary work before dwelling into intra communal boundary disputes and define the boundaries so that Government can gazette them.

The 21 member Committee has Deputy Governor, Comrade Yakubu Garba as Chairman, Etsu Nupe and Chairman Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers Yahaya Abubakar as member, Emir of Kontagora Mu’azu Barau as member among others.

Some of those who spoke on the new development posited that it was the best way to ensure that disputes are nipped in the bud and not to allow them escalate further.