A Bauchi State High Court has cautioned the Department of State Services (DSS) against taking any action that could breach an existing order restraining it from accessing a disputed parcel of land in Firo village, Ganjuwa Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
The warning was issued on Thursday by Justice Aliyu Bin Idris during proceedings in suit No. BA/251/2026 filed by Hajiya Fatima Abdullahi, Ishaq Mohammed Kobi, and Murtala Ismail.
The plaintiffs instituted the case against the Bauchi State Ministry of Lands and Survey, the Attorney General of Bauchi State, and the DSS Bauchi State Command.
Justice Idris reaffirmed an earlier interim order restraining the DSS and officials of the Ministry of Lands and Survey from interfering with the disputed land located near the Gubi Dam area, pending the determination of the case.
Speaking after the court session, counsel to the plaintiffs, Abdullatif Gwani Isa, said the claimants went to court after alleging that DSS operatives, alongside officials of the Ministry of Lands and Survey, entered the farmland without notice or lawful authority and began marking it for possible acquisition.
He explained that the court had previously granted an interim injunction preserving the status quo until the matter is determined.
Isa added that the court again emphasized strict compliance with its order following reports that activities were still ongoing on the land despite the subsisting injunction.
According to him, the court restrained both the DSS and the Ministry of Lands from entering the farmland for acquisition, compensation assessment, or demarcation until proper legal procedures are followed.
He also noted that while the Ministry of Lands and Survey had filed and served its response, the DSS had yet to do so.
The lawyer said the hearing of the motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction could not proceed because the ministry had not completed service of its processes on the DSS.
Justice Idris further directed counsel representing both the DSS and the ministry to ensure full compliance with court directives ahead of the next adjourned date.
He added that the claimants are not opposed to lawful acquisition of the land, provided due process under the Land Use Act, including proper notices and compensation, is followed.
One of the plaintiffs, Hajiya Fatima Abdullahi, told journalists that the land was lawfully acquired through purchases and allocations from the Ganjuwa Local Government Authority and had been in their possession for years without interruption.
She said farming and other activities had continued on the property until the dispute arose.
According to her, part of the land was acquired in 2020 for a DSS training facility, but the current disputed portion was not included.
Fatima also claimed that the DSS showed interest in purchasing additional plots in 2024, but the transaction did not materialize.
She alleged that DSS personnel and officials of the Ministry of Lands later entered the land without notice or compensation and began installing beacons and demarcating it.
She further alleged that some DSS operatives threatened landowners and warned them against accessing the property.
She urged the court to ensure justice is done, 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 processes on the DSS.
