By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukeu, Jos
Tension has gripped Tudun Wada community in Shendam town, Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State, after residents accused police officers of providing cover for hoodlums who allegedly demolished several houses in the area.
The incident, which reportedly occurred around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, saw over 100 armed police officers accompany suspected hoodlums to the community, where they allegedly destroyed buildings and set some ablaze.
Residents told our reporter fathered that the demolition affected several families, including women and children, who took to the streets in protest. They claimed the police action was linked to a lingering land dispute between them and the Fuanter family, despite the case still pending before the Court of Appeal.
According to one of the victims, Muhammadu Bashiru, the officers arrived in six Hilux vans and began demolishing houses without prior notice or a court order.
“We woke up around 5:45 a.m. to see heavily armed policemen and some hoodlums destroying our completed houses. They even poured acid on some of the properties and set others ablaze,” he said.
Another resident, Abbass Tega, alleged that the demolition continued despite ongoing intervention by the chairman of Shendam Local Government.
“The police just came and gave cover to the hoodlums. No court order was issued, and no court official was present. It was an illegal exercise,” Tega added.
The residents insisted they have legal documents for the land and accused the Fuanter family of using security agents to intimidate them. They recalled that a similar attempt to demolish their houses in 2023 was halted by a directive from the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) after an earlier petition.
When contacted, former Commissioner for Lands and Survey and former Deputy National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Festus Fuanter, denied involvement in the current demolition. He told Daily Trust that the matter had already been decided in his family’s favour by the Court of Appeal, adding that the plaintiffs failed to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.
“I am not among those sued in court. The Court of Appeal has already ruled on the matter, and the plaintiffs did not appeal. I am currently in Abuja and only heard about what happened,” he said.
However, residents insisted that their appeal is still pending and that their lawyer had written a reminder to the court without any response.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Plateau State Command, DSP Alabo Alfred, said the command had just been informed of the development and would investigate the incident.