Five communities spread across Gassol district of Gassol Local Government Council of Taraba State have frowned at the alleged unlawful seizure of their farmlands by Senator Sanusi Dagash.
The communities, which on Friday staged a peaceful protest in the council, vowed to resist any attempt by the senator to confiscate their farmlands.
Led by their spokesperson, Hudu Kashimu, they vowed to resist the alleged land grab with their lives.
Displaying placards with messages such as “Dagash, stop land grab in our community. We would rather die than relinquish our land,” they appealed to the current governor of the state, Dr. Agbu Kefas, to review the case and intervene.
The communities, which are Wurbo, Kwatantaru, Sendirde Natride, and Dinyawo, according to their spokesperson, depend entirely on their farmlands for survival.
Vowing not to give up their ancestral lands, they explained that the issue dates back to 1984 when the late Emir of Muri, Umaru Abba Tukur, granted 200 hectares of land near the Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority (UBRBDA) to the then Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr. Shuaibu Bukar.
They added that after Bukar’s death, the land was reportedly sold to Senator Dagash, who later obtained a Certificate of Occupancy for 5,000 hectares, far exceeding the originally allocated 200 hectares.
“The communities petitioned the matter to former Governor Darius Ishaku, who ordered the revocation of the land following an investigation,” the spokesperson said.
The communities, which alleged that Senator Dagash sought reinstatement of the 5,000 hectares through legal means after Governor Ishaku left office, pleaded with the relevant authorities to, as a matter of urgency, wade in.
Responding, the Emir of Gassol, Alhaji Idris Chiroma, urged all parties to remain calm, emphasizing that the matter is still before the court and pledging to remain impartial in the dispute.
We rather die than relinquishing our land – Taraba communities vow