Police in Majok Yinhthiou Municipal Council, Northern Bahr el-Ghazal State, are investigating two local officials involved in a physical altercation over a land dispute on Sunday, a local official said.
Majok Yinhthiou Municipal Council Mayor Andrea Lual Akok confirmed to Radio Tamazuj on Monday that a surveyor and a community member were detained and later released by police, with investigations still ongoing.
“Yesterday [Sunday] evening, I heard that the two fought in the market. They were apprehended by the police, and investigations are ongoing,” the mayor said.
A local source revealed that the mayor had formed a committee to investigate allegations of land grabbing at the Majok market.
According to the source, the committee identified 70 irregular land allotments. However, land management officials allegedly attempted to influence committee members by offering them five plots, a move that was rejected by some, leading to the altercation.
The source added that numerous plots remained unallocated, and locals had accused a senior survey official of illegally selling open spaces. These allegations prompted the mayor to establish the investigative committee.
The accused land official denied the claims, stating that he was defending a widow whose land had been seized.
“There was a problem between someone and me because he registered a shop land under his brother’s name, even though the shop was owned by the late Maduok Dau. When I questioned him and his brother, he rejected my request and began taking photos of us with his phone. I told him not to do that, and when he refused, I snatched the phone. He then fought me until the police intervened,” the official explained.