By Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
The Kwantan-Taru, Natirde, Dinyawo, Wuro, Kiyari and Sendirde communities 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 Senator Sanusi Dagash of grabbing their ancestral land worth 5,000 hectares.
The leaders of the communities who address the press at a protest held in the affected areas have also accused chief of Gasol (Serkin Gasol) Alhaji Idi Chiroma of conniving with Sen. Dagash to grab the land.
Spokesperson for the communities Mr Idris Adamu said that the Borno former senator claimed to have obtained certificate of occupancy (C of O) from the Taraba state government without the knowledge and and consent of the original owners of the land as well as the community leaders.
“This land belongs to the peasant farmers of Kwatan-Taru, Natirde, Dinyawo, Wurbo, Kyari and Sindride, whose forefathers have been farming on for hundred of years. For record purposes, we are told that when federal government cited Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority in Gasol district of Gasol local government area far back 1976, the then minister of Agriculture and Water resources late Dr. Bukar Shuaibu, who came on a visit to the site in Gasol in 1984 solicited for a portion of land for himself.
“Our late Emir of Muri graciously directed the then district head of Gasol to allocate a parcel of land to Shuaibu. The district head further directed the village head of Sendirde to allocate a parcel of land near the Upper Benue River Basin to Shuaibu which then covered 200 hectares.
“After the death of Dr. Bukar, his family later sold the 200 hectares of land to Senator. Dagash, 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 and the number of hectares of the land until in 2023 when the recent past Governor Darius Ishaku revoked the CofO of the land.
“We reliably understand that after the revocation, Dagash and his wife met with Governor Ishaku and pleaded for portion of land to be given to him for personal farming. The governor directed the surveyor general of the state to allocate only 200 hectares of land to Dagash which was done. It is surprising that after Darius left office, Dagash went to Jalingo High Court to reverse the initial revocation by the then governor Ishaku while he claimed 5,000 hectares of our ancestral land”.
Another community leader Alhaji Mai Riga told journalists that Senator Dagash has connived with the Chief of Gassol to take over their ancestral lands through the back door and warned that the communities will resist the attempt with the last drop of their blood.
“These people you see here depend on this land for survival. We don’t have government jobs. We are peasant farmers and this is our ancestral lands. If you take the land from us, how do you expect us to survive? That will be creating a security situation that will further worsen the situation here.
“Let me assure you and everybody that this is not going to happen so long as we are still breathing. They should be prepared to kill every one of us. Is Dagash going to give us land in Borno State for us to farm?
“I am calling on the Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas to urgently follow the footsteps of his predecessor Darius Ishaku and place Dagash where he belongs before he will create a security situation here and go back to stay in his safety at Borno. The earlier, the better”.
The protesters insists that they reject the move by Dagash, alleging that it is a plan to seize the land and put the entire community and their generation to come in perpetual hunger.
Though efforts to reach senator Dagash failed, the chief of Gasol Idi Chiroma while addressing journalists at his house in Jalingo denied any involvement in a conspiracy to take over the people’s land and call 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 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 picture of the land matter involving Senator Sanusi Dagash and some indigenes of Gassol which is currently before Court of law.
“As a traditional father, I appeal to the protesters to remain calm and be law abiding, as there are rooms for dialogue that could lead to the amicable resolution of the land matter. Chiroma stated .
