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By our correspondent
Residents of Dooshima in Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba State on Wednesday called on the State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and the Chief Judge of Taraba state, Justice Joel Filibus Agya to as a matter of urgency remove the judge in charge of grade I area Court in Ibi Local Government, Saidu Muhammad for alleged harrassment and intimidation.
Mr. Istifanus Moses and the Madakin Doorshima who made the call while briefing journalists in Jalingo cried out that the judge, Saidu Muhammad who is an indegine of Ibi Local Government allegedly conspired with one Adamu Suleiman Tafida and Alih Buhari to intimidate, harass and confiscated their fish ponds among others.
“As we speak, we are going through hell in the hands of Judge Saidu Muhammad here in Ibi, his brothers Adamu Tafida and Alih Buhari are using him to forcefully send us away from our fish ponds which legally belongs to us, we the people of Doshima under Sarkin kudu Chifdom” they said.
Before they the case of the disputed fish ponds which was filed before the grade I area court was situated under the traditional council of Sarkin Kudu and not under Ibi traditional council as being claimed by Adamu Suleiman Tafida and Alih Buhari.
They lamented that judge Saidu ignored the letters from the national boundary commission, the Taraba state boundary commission and bureau for local government and chieftaincy Affairs, directing both parties to maintained the initial demarcation on river Benue respectively.
They disclosed that despite these directives, the judge on Saturday 11-01-2025, flagrantly ordered for the arrest of the ward head of Doorshima, Mallam Ibrahim and kept him in detention in Ibi police station till Sunday 12/01/2025, adding that it took the intervention of the council chairman of Ibi local government, Alh. Iliya Jibu before his release.
They noted that letters from the national boundary commission, state boundary commission and the bureau for local government, traditions and chieftaincy Affairs on the disputed fish ponds cleanly indicated that the said fish ponds is situated under Sarkin kudu traditional council therefore Adamu Suleiman Tafida and Alih Buhari have are from Ibi Chiefdom have no moral justification to file a complain before Ibi grade I area court.
“I want you to note that after recieving the summon from the grade I area court, we honored the court and we were on our way to the court but to our greatest dismay they was a standing directive by some powerful individuals from Ibi town to the operators of the canoes and ferries at the Ibi River Bank not cross us to attend the court.
We indeed explained this scenario to the judge but it falls under his deaf eye thereby ordered the dentition of Madakin Doorshima at Ibi police custody” the noted.
According to Moses, the area court judge was currently acting on the script of big wiggs from Ibi to forcefully hijack fish ponds in Doorshima community under Sarkin Kudu Chifdom.
“We are putting this call because on Sunday 12/10/2025 Judge Saidu Muhammed issued a summon to madaki Dooshima and myself Istifanus Moses with plans to send us to prison” they added.
“As we speak with you, the judge on Monday 13/01/2025 sent a warrant of arrest to one malam Adamu Dan Bauchi.we are appealing to the judicial Service commission and the appropriate authorities to called Muhammad to order and stop him from further harassing and intimidating people of the area.
But when contacted, the judge, Saidu Muhammad denied the allegations of intimidating or Harrassing Mr Istifanus Moses and the Madakin Doorshima.
He said he does know the person of Mr Istifanus Moses and the Madakin Doorshima one on one.
“I only acted based on the complaint brought to my court by one Alih Buhari over a disputed fish ponds situated in Doorshima village.
The court sent a summon requesting them to appear before the court on Monday and they refused to appear and that informed the decision of the court to order for their arrest for contempt, it is the normal procedure in the court so the case must be mentioned” Judge Ali Idris said.
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