Taraba Communities Accuse Emir, Borno Ex-Senator Of Land Grabbing

Community leaders of Kwantan-Taru, Natirde, Dinyawo, Wuro, Kiyari and Sendirde of Gasol district in Gasol local government area of Taraba State have accused the former senator representing Borno north at the National Assembly in 2003, Sanusi Dagash of grabbing their ancestral land worth 5,000 hectares within the Gasol district.

The community leaders also accused the chief of Gasol (Serkin Gasol), Alhaji Idi Chiroma, of conniving with Sen. Dagash to grab the land.

Stating that the Borno former senator claimed to have obtained certificate of occupancy (C of O) from the Taraba State government without the knowledge and consent of the original owners of the land and the community leaders.

Briefing journalists in the middle of the controversial 5,000 hectares of land located over 100 kilometres away from Jalingo, the state capital, the councillor representing Sendride ward, Hon. Mai-Riga, and a community leader, Mr Idris Adamu, who were accompanied by hundreds of protesters from the district accused Dagash of outsmarting the locals to take their ancestral land.

“This land belongs to the peasant farmers of Kwatan-Taru, Natirde, Dinyawo, Wurbo, Kyari and Sindride, whose forefathers have been farming for hundreds of years.

“For record purposes, we are told that when the federal government cited the Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority in the Gasol district of Gasol local government area far back in 1976, the then minister of Agriculture and Water resources, late Dr Bukar Shuabu during former head of state Olusegun Obasanjo who came on a visit to the site in Gasol in 1984 solicited for a portion of land.

“From our late emir of Muri for his own (Bukar Shuabu) personal use, the emir graciously directed the then district head of Gasol to allocate a parcel of land to Shuabu, on the directive further directed the village head of Sendirde to allocate a parcel of land near the Upper Benue River Basin to Shuabu which then covered 200 hectares.

“After the death of Dr Bukar, his family later sold the 200 hectares of land to Sen. Dagash, and all these were done without the knowledge and consent of the original owners of the land,

“The said land became a subject of controversy and litigation between Taraba state government and some elders of Gasol Community and Sen. Dagash over ownership of the number of hectares of the land until in 2023 when the recent past Governor Darius Ishaku called for revocation of the land.

“We reliably understand that after the revocation, Dagash and his wife met with Governor Ishaku and pleaded for a portion of land to be given to him for personal farming, which the governor did.

“The governor directed the surveyor general of the state to allocate only 200 hectares of land to Dagash. It is suprising that after Darius’had left office, Dagash went to Jalingo High Court over the initial revocation by the then governor Ishaku while he claimed 5,000 hectares of our ancestral land. The duo stated while briefing journalists.

They further rejected the move by Dagash, alleging that it was a plan to seize the land and put the entire community and their generation in perpetual hunger.

Though efforts to reach Senator Dagash failed, the chief of Gasol Idi Chiloma while addressing journalists at his house in Jalingo, called on the affected communities to remain calm as means of dialogue are on the way to settle the matter.

The secretary of the Gasol Traditional Council of Chiefs, Usman Umar, who addressed the journalists on behalf of the chief, said, “It is important to note that as the traditional ruler in charge of Gassol Chiefdom and father to all the subjects in the area, it has become imperative for me to comment on the disputed land matter leading to the protest.

“The state government and the Gassol traditional council are fully in the picture of the land matter involving Senator Sanusi Dagash and some indigenes of Gassol, which is currently before the court of law.

“As a traditional father, I appeal to the protesters to remain calm and be law-abiding, as there is room for dialogue that could lead to the amicable resolution of the land matter. Chiroma stated.