By Henry Ojelu

Tiv indigenous communities in Nasarawa State have raised the alarm over what they described as a blatant breach of a subsisting court order, following reports of renewed government-backed land acquisition affecting several Tiv villages.

The dispute is the subject of Suit No. NSD/LF44/2025, pending before the Nasarawa State High Court, Lafia Judicial Division, between representatives of the Tiv communities and the Nasarawa State Government, among others.

On May 27, 2025, the High Court reportedly ordered all parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive suit. However, counsel to the Tiv communities, Mr. Terkaa Aondo, SAN, alleged that the Nasarawa State Governor has continued to carry out acts of trespass on the disputed land in defiance of the court order.

According to Aondo, these acts include farming activities allegedly being carried out for private use on the contested land, a development he said undermines the authority of the court and heightens tension in the affected areas.

“Compounding the situation,” Aondo said, “is the fact that there is a pending interlocutory appeal before the Court of Appeal, Makurdi Judicial Division, entered as Appeal No. CA/MK/222/2025, which is yet to be determined.”

He maintained that once an appeal has been duly entered, any action taken on the subject matter of the dispute risks rendering the appeal nugatory and amounts to a disregard for due judicial process.

Meanwhile, fresh anxiety has reportedly swept through Tiv settlements following claims that the Nasarawa State Government has released a new acquisition map allegedly covering land in more than ten Tiv villages in Doka District of Doma Local Government Area.

The affected communities were listed as Doga, Gbatar, Igbawua, Kwaghitse, Uta, Tsekele, Ugee, Age, Angbo, Tsehuee, Ugor and Kaatuna.

Community leaders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the development as disturbing, alleging that it signals an expansion of land appropriation efforts even as the core dispute remains unresolved before the courts.

They called on the Nasarawa State Government to immediately respect the subsisting status quo order, halt all activities on the disputed lands and refrain from any fresh acquisitions until the courts have finally determined the matter.

The leaders warned that avoidable actions could further escalate tension and deepen the sense of disenfranchisement among indigenous Tiv communities in the area.

As at the time of filing this report, official responses from the Nasarawa State Government on the alleged breach of the court order and the reported acquisition map were not available.