Shendam Natives Flay Misleading Publications Over Land Tussle

The Fuanter family of Shendam local government area in Plateau State has condemned allegedly sponsored misleading publications against the family by unknown people to malign them, the Shendam Traditional Council and the peace-loving people of the state. 

The family in a statement issued and signed by the head of Fuanter’s family, Thomas T. Fuanter made available to LEADERSHIP Weekend in Jos said the attention of the family was drawn to two publications in the media which was deliberately done to whip up ethnic and religious sentiments and  portray the family in bad light and smear her glorious reputation as a humble and peace-loving family.  

He further disclosed that the key area of concern in the malicious publications was the conscious effort to drag into it the good name of Barr Festus Fuanter, a renown philanthropist and deputy national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as being the sponsor of forceful seizure of houses and land. 

He also noted that the publications are aiming at weeping up ethnic and religious sentiments in its usual attempt to divert the attention of the Nigerian public from the reality of the land dispute involving the Fuanter family and Mohammadu Bashiru, Abbas Ahmadu Tega and Yusuf Baga. 

“It will interest the general public to note that Plateau State High Court had since 2022 decided the case in favour of the Fuanter family. The court thereby in addition to its judgement and orders issued and the Fuanter family the Writ of Possession of the disputed land,” he said.

Thomas argued that when it became obvious that the illegal occupants were not ready to obey the orders of the court, the Plateau State High Court in June, 2023 moved to enforce its judgement by sealing off the whole disputed area. 

“Despite the court action, Muhammadu Bashiru, Abbas Ahmadu Tega and Yusuf Baga had in flagrant disobedience of the court judgement decided to break the court seals and took possession of the land and properties,” he said. 

He pointed out that the peace-loving family simply adopted due process of rule of law to reclaim what rightly belong to them, adding that in spite of the facts presented above, someone would want to drag the good name of Shendam LGA and the police to the mud.