The Tamale High Court (Court Two) has carried out a locus in quo inspection on the disputed land involving the Anbariya Islamic Institute and the Technical University College, Ghana, ahead of delivering its final judgment on December 16, 2025.
The inspection was led by the Presiding Judge, His Lordship Justice Eric Ansah Ankomah, and attended by Dr Justice Agyei Ampofo, representing the Court Registrar; court staff member Mr Jebuni Ibrahim; counsel for the plaintiff, Mohammed Alhassan; counsel for the defendant, Afoko Amoak; and police officers, including Sergeant Sylvanus Afele.
Representatives of both parties were also present. For the plaintiff: Dr Tamimu Abubakari Saeed, Dr Mohammed Awal Issah, Afa Yusif, and Mahama Sayibu. For the defendant: Dr Osman Alhassan, Alhaji Ibrahim Yussif Kabara, Mr Kasim Al-Hassan, and Sog-Naa Abdul Mumin Yakubu.
Purpose of the Inspection
According to court records, the objective was to verify the physical features of the contested land, traditional and surveyed boundaries, land-use patterns, institutional developments, and the extent of involvement by both parties.
The exercise began at 1 p.m. at the High Court and ended at 3:52 p.m. at a hostel located at the far end of the disputed property.
On-Site Observations
At the entrance to the site, the team observed a washroom near a school wall and an old signpost reading “Anbariya Senior High School.”
The plaintiffs pointed to a fallen pillar behind a roadside container shop, describing it as the starting boundary of their 71-acre property, although the inscription on it was illegible. The defendants rejected this claim and argued that the land forms part of their 189-acre allocation beginning closer to the Vittin Police Barrier.
The space between the two disputed pillars was found to be undeveloped. The Salvation Army School borders land claimed by the Technical University College, while other undeveloped areas stretch to a fenced location near Al-Saadi School.
Disputed Land Features
The plaintiff claimed ownership of a mosque near Al-Saadi School, a position the defendant opposed, insisting it falls within the 189-acre grant. The defendant further claimed that the Al-Saadi School and more than 400 private structures sit inside their original allocation. The plaintiff did not claim ownership of any privately developed land.
The court was also led to the Vittin Chaandu community, which the defendant said lies within their 189 acres and ends at the Chaandu cemetery. The team confirmed this as the terminus of the developed area. An elder, Issah Nindow, said he was granted land there by Vittin Lana Sayibu when no buildings existed, a statement affirmed by a plaintiff’s observer and not disputed by the defence.
A shrine or grove where sacrifices were being performed was also shown by the defendants; the plaintiff did not contest the site.
The plaintiff later pointed to another pillar they said marked the end of their 71-acre boundary. The defendant dismissed it as newly installed and instead identified a large Dawadawa tree with a broken pillar as the legitimate boundary marker. A signpost near the tree reading “Keep Off: Property of Anbariya” was noted. The defendant insisted it was erected after the dispute began. Ownership of teak trees near the boundary was also contested.
Both parties acknowledged that the land between the Dawadawa tree, a four-storey uncompleted block, and the ICT laboratory remains undeveloped.
Institutional Developments
The team inspected a four-storey uncompleted building currently occupied by Anbariya SHS students. The defendant claimed it originally housed Technical University College students. A nearby ICT laboratory was also disputed.
A plaque on the laboratory reads: “This Computer Science Laboratory for Technical University College, Ghana, in Tamale was partially funded with a grant from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Jeddah, and the land granted by the Chiefs and People of the Gulkpegu Traditional Area (29/11/1441 – 20th July 2020).”
The plaintiff did not dispute the funding source. Behind the lab, the defendant showed an old tipper truck (Reg. No. ER-3326-X), whose ownership the plaintiff did not challenge.
The land between the four-storey building, ICT Lab, and the Anbariya SHS urinal remains unoccupied. The urinal was cited as one point of dispute. The plaintiff claims it lies within 13.94 acres; the defendant disputes this, though a defence witness admitted it falls within the area.
The plaintiff also showed the school kitchen. The defendant acknowledged it but argued it lies outside the 13.94-acre section. The defendant further said the Anbariya SHS headmaster previously sought permission to build a football field. The plaintiff denied this, insisting it falls within their 71 acres.
Vocational Centres and Mosque
The plaintiff presented two vocational training centres for boys and girls, each bearing a plaque stating: “This Vocational Training Centre (GH-04) was donated to Anbariya Islamic Institute by the Islamic Development Bank, with land donated by the Chiefs and People of the Gulkpegu Traditional Area, 15-04-1424AH / 15-04-2003.”
The defendant did not claim ownership of these centres. A mosque and three new classroom blocks within the 13.94-acre area were also shown by the plaintiff without objection.
Boundary Claims and Final Points
The defendant maintained that the 189-acre claim covers the entire Anbariya SHS area. The plaintiff insisted their 71-acre boundary ends at the Dawadawa tree.
The last hostel on the land, occupied by Anbariya SHS male students, was claimed by the defendant as Technical University College property. The plaintiff rejected this. The defendant said the Islamic Development Bank funded the hostel, ICT Lab, and four-storey building under separate grants. The plaintiff agreed that the IDB funded the projects but insisted they were done under the name Anbariya Technical University College, which the defendant disputed.
Both parties acknowledged that the Technical University College initially operated in the two vocational centre buildings before relocating to newer IDB-funded structures.
The plaintiff said they repaired the hostel’s windows and doors. The defendant did not oppose this but said the work occurred after what he described as a “forcible occupation.” The defendant also claimed to have planted a mango tree in front of the hostel, a claim the plaintiff denied.
Both sides agreed that all structures on the land are institutional assets belonging to the schools, not individuals.
The inspection ended at the boys’ hostel, where Justice Eric Ansah Ankomah addressed students before the team returned to court.
Background
The Anbariya Islamic Institute sued the management of Technical University College, Tamale, claiming sole ownership and control of the institution and seeking to stop the founder from using the college’s name or admitting students under it.
The court issued an injunction barring both parties from undertaking any activities on the land until the case was resolved. Despite this, in April 2022, the University College Principal, Dr Osman Alhassan, said he discovered Anbariya’s agents constructing buildings on the land. When he confronted them, he was allegedly attacked, beaten, and his vehicle and personal belongings were damaged.
In May 2022, the Anbariya Institute, frustrated by delays in the case, publicly urged followers to take control of the campus. Armed members then stormed the university, vandalised property, assaulted students and staff, and occupied the facilities.
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