From Ben Adaji, Jalingo
Five communities in Gassol District of Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State have protested against the seizure of their farm lands by Sen. Sanusi Dagash.
Mallam Hudu Kashimu, leader of the protesters at the weekend in Gassol said that the communities would resist the land grab arrangement orchestrated by Senator Dagash with the last drop of their blood.
The protesters who were armed with assorted pla cards with different inscriptions, such as ” Dagash stop land grad in our community “we rather die than relinquishing our land” and others vowed to resist any attempt to seize their land.
Kashimu recalled that the late Emir of Muri, Umaru Abba Tukur granted the request for a peace of land to former Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr Shuaibu Bukar for his personal use during his official visit to Gassol the site of Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority, UBRBDA, in 1984.
He said that about 200 hectares of land close to the location of the UBRBDA was allocated to the former minister by the late village head of Serdinde on the directive of the former district head of Gassol.
According to Kashimu, after the death of the former Minister, his family thereafter sold the said land to Senator Sanusi Dagash, a former Senator from Borno State.
Kashimu further disclosed that Dagash secretly obtained a Certificate of Occupancy on the land without the knowledge and consent of the real owners thereby claiming 5,000 hectares against 200 hectares granted to the late Minister.
He said that the affected communities petitioned the matter to former Gov. Darius Ishaku who after thorough investigation, ordered for the revocation of the land.
According to the spokesman, after the revocation Dagash in company of his wife went to pleaded with Gov. Ishaku to give him a little portion of the land for his farming business..
He further disclosed that former Gov. Ishaku allegedly obliged and directed the Surveyor General of the state to allocate a portion of land to the former Minister not exceeding 200 hectares.
He said that it was surprising that after Ishaku had left the office as Governor that Dagash went to court seeking the reinstatement of his 5,000 hectares.
He therefore, appealed to the governor to study the history of the Land matter properly and intervene in the matter with the view to claiming back their lands.
Kashimu said that the communities were completely agrarians and don’t have any land to fall back to if the was forcefully seized.
He mentioned the affected communities to include; Wurbo, Kwatantaru, Sendirde Natride and DINYAWO who are all peasant farmers and inherited the land from their forefathers.
The protesters vowed not to relinquish the land to Senator Sanusi Dagash until the last child of the communities was killed.
When contacted, Alhaji Idris Chiroma, Emir of Gassol said that he would remain impartial in the matter, especially as he was a father to all.
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Chiroma who spoke to newsmen through Alhaji Usman Umar, Secretary of the Gassol traditional Council, appealed to the agitators to remain calm especially as the matter was still in court.
