Man climbs mast to protest ‘land encroachment’ by Atiku’s university

Musa Wakatu, a resident of Abuja, has climbed a telecommunication mast over an alleged land encroachment by the American University of Nigeria (AUN).

The elderly man climbed the mast at Nicon Junction in Maitama area of the federal capital territory (FCT) on Monday morning.

The university is owned by Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Wakatu, who threw leaflets from the mast to the crowd who had thronged the area, alleged that Abubakar, through his university, had encroached and fenced his landed property at Bajabure in Girei local government area in Yola, Adamawa state, and built structures inside.

He said he had protested on the same matter on March 14, 2012 when he climbed a mast at federal high court in Abuja but nothing was done.

“I wrote a complaint letter to the former IG Mr. Hafiz Ringim and delivered to force headquarters on 5th December 2011 with visitor tag No.054 without any positive result,” the leaflet read.

He said he was lured to collect money as compensation from AUN which he rejected but was later locked up in the cell.

Wakatu said a policeman identified as Ibrahim Iro detained him in Yola.

He said he sold a house he inherited from his father to pursue the case in the court without any result.

He added that he was ready to pursue the case to the world court in order to get justice.

The leaflet also contained his bank account name and number seeking financial assistance from Nigerians to enable him get lawyer for the case.

A detachment of policemen, who arrived the scene, appealed to Wakatu via phone to descend from the mast but he vowed not to.