A Bauchi State High Court has issued a stern warning to the Department of State Services (DSS), cautioning the agency against any actions that might violate a subsisting court order that bars it from entering a disputed piece of land in Firo village, Ganjuwa Local Government Area.
Justice Aliyu Bin Idris delivered the admonition on Thursday during proceedings in suit No. BA/251/2026, which was initiated by Hajiya Fatima Abdullahi, Ishaq Mohammed Kobi, and Murtala Ismail. The defendants in the case are the Bauchi State Ministry of Lands and Survey, the state’s Attorney General, and the DSS Bauchi State Command.
The presiding judge reaffirmed an earlier interim injunction that restrains the DSS and officials of the Ministry of Lands from interfering with the land near the Gubi Dam until the case is resolved.
Abdullatif Gwani Isa, counsel for the plaintiffs, explained after the session that the claimants took legal action after alleging that DSS operatives and ministry staff entered their farmland without notice, consultation, or legal authority, and began marking it for possible acquisition.
The court had previously granted an interim injunction to safeguard the claimants’ rights and preserve the status quo pending the hearing. Isa noted that the court again emphasized strict adherence to its order after reports emerged that activities on the land continued despite the injunction.
“The court ordered both the DSS and the Ministry of Lands to stay away from the farmland for purposes of acquisition, compensation assessment, or demarcation until the matter is determined and due process is followed,” Isa said.
He disclosed that while the Ministry of Lands has filed and served its response, the DSS has yet to do so. A motion for an interlocutory injunction could not proceed because the ministry had not completed service of its processes on the DSS.
The lawyer added that Justice Idris reminded counsel for both the DSS and the ministry to ensure their clients fully comply with the court’s directives before the next hearing.
Isa stressed that the claimants are not against lawful government acquisition of the land, as long as the Land Use Act is followed, including issuing acquisition notices and paying compensation where applicable.
One of the plaintiffs, Hajiya Fatima Abdullahi, told reporters that the claimants acquired the land lawfully through purchases and allocations from the Ganjuwa Local Government Authority and have occupied it without disturbance for years. They farmed and carried out other activities on the property until the dispute arose.
She stated that the Ministry of Lands acquired some portions in the area in 2020 for a DSS training school, but the acquisition did not include the land now in contention. Fatima further claimed that the DSS expressed interest in buying additional plots from her in 2024. She said she was willing to sell but received no response, so she continued offering the plots to other buyers.
She alleged that the DSS and ministry officials later entered the disputed property without acquisition notices or compensation and installed beacons and demarcated the area. She also claimed that some DSS personnel threatened landowners and warned them not to work on the property.
Fatima appealed to the court for justice, noting that part of the land belongs to orphans under her care.
Justice Idris adjourned the case to July 16, 2026, for hearing of the motion on notice and to allow proper service of the ministry’s processes on the DSS.