Taraba communities accuse senator of ‘land grabbing’

Six communities in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State, have accused Sanusi Daggash, a former senator from Borno State, of grabbing their land.

Mr Daggash represented the Borno North District in the Senate between 1999 and 2007 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Former President Musa Yar’Adua later appointed him as minister of national planning after he lost his bid to return to the upper chamber for the third time.

As a senator, he served in various committees like population commission and national identity card, FCT, capital market, loans and debts, among others.

The communities alleged that Mr Daggash connived with traditional rulers in Gassol to grab over 5,000 hectares of land without paying the ancestral owners any compensation.

Allegation

The residents on Monday staged a protest in Gassol over their claims.

Their spokesperson, Hudu Kashimu, at a press conference on Thursday said Mr Daggash claimed to have obtained a Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) for their land without their consent.

On Monday, the protesters, from Kwatan Taru, Natride, Dinyawo, Wurbo, Kiyari and Sendride, held placards with different inscriptions and vowed to resist the land grab.

Controversies

Mr Kashimu said the land belongs to peasant farmers who, with their forefathers, have used the land for over 100 years.

He said a former minister of agriculture and water resources, the late Bukar Shuaibu, during a visit to the Upper Benue River Basin site in Gassol in 1984, begged the late Emir of Muri, Umaru Tukur, for a portion of land for his personal use.

“Tukur graciously directed the then district head of Gassol to allocate a parcel of land to Shuaibu. Acting on the directive of the emir, the then district head of Gassol further directed the village head of Sendride to allocate a parcel of land near the Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority to Shuaibu, which covered only 200 hectares.

“We were also told that after Shuaibu’s death, his family sold the land to one Sanusi Daggash, and all this were done without the consent of the original owners of the land

“We were equally told that the said land became a subject of controversy and litigation between the Taraba State government, some elders of Gassol community and Daggash over ownership and the number of hectares of the said land, until 2023 when former Governor Darius Ishaku ordered the revocation of the controversial land.

“After the revocation of the land, Daggash and his wife met with Ishaku and pleaded for a portion of the land to be given to him for his personal farming business.

“We were also informed that during the meeting, Ishaku directed the state surveyor-general to allocate only 200 hectares of land to the senator. Surprisingly to us, after Ishaku left office, Daggash went to court to challenge the initial revocation by Ishaku, claiming over 5,000 hectares of our land.

“We the original owners of the land from the aforementioned villages and communities hereby, reject in total the seizure of our land by Daggash or his agents

“We are therefore calling on the state governor, Agbu Kefas, to stop Daggash or his agents from encroaching on our land,” Mr Kashimu said.

Also speaking Idris Adamu, a community leader, accused the traditional ruler (Lamido) of Gassol, Idi Chiroma, of using his position to take over land in his chiefdom.

Chiroma reacts

Reacting, the Secretary of the Gassol traditional council, Inusa Gassol, who spoke on behalf of Mr Chiroma, called on the aggrieved communities to remain calm and desist from acts capable of creating tension in the chiefdom.

Mr Gassol said the leadership of the community was surprised to hear the allegation against an “innocent chief” who was not part of the said land allocation.

“The state government and the Gassol traditional council are fully in the picture of the land matter involving Sanusi Daggash and some indigenes of Gassol, which is currently before the court of law.

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“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

“As a father of all, I have not taken side in the matter but will rather be fair to all parties in the interest of peace,” he said.

Repeated calls to Mr Daggash’s two known phone numbers did not connect as of Friday. He àlso did not respond to text messages sent to his phone requesting his reaction.

However, one of his friends who spoke on the condition of anonymity said, “the senator will not speak on the matter since it is before the court.”