Niger land dispute: Gov Bello constitutes panel, urges parties to live in peace

Following the land dispute in the Ja’agi community of the Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello has enjoined parties in the dispute to give peace a chance by withdrawing all court cases.
A 50-year-old woman allegedly lost one of her eyes last Tuesday when rioting youths hit her with a stone, while others suffered various degrees of injuries in the crisis.
Governor Bello, while meeting with the representatives of both parties in the government house on Tuesday, assured that the state government would not allow anybody to take the law into their hands and breach the peace of the state.
He directed the deputy governor, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Ketso, to immediately constitute an assessment panel to ascertain the level of destruction of property during the crisis for immediate humanitarian intervention.
The governor also directed Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, Etsu Nupe and Chairman, Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, to appoint a new village head for the community immediately.
In his remarks, Ketso explained that he had already made several interventions in the past to resolve the crisis, lamenting that it did not yield positive results.
He enjoined the two factions to sheath their swords for peace, unity and progress of the community by living in peace with one another.
An undertaking with a promise to allow peace a chance was signed by representatives of the community.