From Jude Owuamanam, Managing Editor, Northern Operations
JOS (Sundiata Post) – The prospect of a smooth take-off of the African Development Bank (AfDB) multi-billion naira Irish potato project in Plateau State has been put in serious jeopardy following an alleged Fulani take-over of a potatoes farm settlement in Mahurum in Bokkos Local Government Area of the state.
The Federal Government had secured a N3.38bn billion loan from AfDB to aid mass production and development of Irish potatoes value chain in Plateau State.
Plateau, which is Nigeria’s largest producer of Irish potatoes, is expected to provide N595 million as its counterpart funding for the project.
Apart from the northern zone of Plateau Statetate, Bokkos in the central senatorial district, is another theatre of conflict in the internecine ethno-religious war in Plateau State. The zone is reputed for its high yield of potatoes, which they produce throughout the year.
The Fulani were said to have defied the military posted to the area since the start of conflict in Plateau State, evicted the natives and completely took over the farming settlement.
Sundiata Postost gathered from a source in Bokkos that the Fulani had previously taken possession of a farmland claiming it was a no-man’s land. This became a constant cause of acrimony between them and the local farmers.
The farmers were said to have reported the matter to security agencies in the state and federal authorities.
However, after series of interventions by the authorities, the herdsmen were reported to have withdrawn from the land. But this did not take a long time, as the Fulani made a dramatic come-back to occupy the land.
But to allow peace to reign, men of the Special Task Force or Operation Safe Haven were directed by their commander to demolish the structure. A local resident confided in Sundiata Post that this move annoyed STF headquarters and the commanding officer was allegedly arrested and redeployed.
Miffed by this development the affected villagers took sanctuary in the judiciary the hearing has been on since November 2016.
Despite this move, however, the herdsmen, reports say, went ahead to rebuild and occupy the demolished structure on the contending land.
A local resident, who spoke to Sundiata Post on telephone on condition of anonymity, said the villagers have been receiving verbal threats from the herdsmen, who have vowed to kill anyone acting as obstacle to their possession of the land.
He said, “We have been in constant fear since they invaded the land. In fact the audacity with which they occupied the land supposed that they have official backing. We learnt that the Federal Government had secured an African Development Bank loan to boost the production of potatoes here and you know we’re the largest producers of the crop not only in Nigeria, but the whole of sub-Saharan Africa.
“May be they got wind of the development and that is why they want to take over our land,” he added.
Media officer of STF, Capt. Abba Umar, told Sundiata Post that he was not aware of the development. He, however, promised to make investigations and call back. But as at the time of filing this report, he hadn’t.
