Taraba communities vow to resist Senator Dagash’s land seizure with last drop of blood

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Some of the protestors with placards

By our reporter, Jalingo

Five communities in Gassol District of Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State have protested against the seizure of their farm lands by Senator Sanusi Dagash.

Hudu Kashimu spokesman for the protesters on Friday in Gassol said the communities would resist the land grab arrangement orchestrated by Senator Dagash with the last drop of their blood.

The protesters who displayed assorted placards with different inscriptions such as “Dagash stop land grad in our community,” “We rather die than relinquishing our land” amongst others vowed to resist any attempt to seize their land.

Kashimu recalled the late Emir of Muri, Umaru Abba Tukur granted the request for a piece 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 hectres 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 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 hectres against 200 hectres granted to the late Minister.

He said that the affected communities petitioned the matter to former Governor Darius Ishaku who after thorough investigation, ordered for the revocation of the land.

According to the spokesman, after the revocation, Senator Dagash in company of his wife went and pleaded with Governor Ishaku to give him a little portion of the land for his farming business.

He further disclosed that former Governor Ishaku allegedly obliged and directed the Surveyor General of the state to allocate a portion of land to the former Minister not exceeding 200 hectres.

He said that it was surprising that after Governor Ishaku left office that Senator Dagash went to court seeking the reinstatement of his 5,000 hectres.

He therefore, appealed to the governor to study the history of the land matter properly and intervane with the view to claiming back their lands.

Kashimu said the communities were completely agrarian and don’t have any land to fall back to if 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 Dagash.

When contacted, Emir of Gassol, Alhaji Idris Chiroma, said that he would remain impartial in the matter, especially as he is a father to all.

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.