Taraba traditional ruler denies land grabbing, harassment allegations

The Gassol traditional chiefdom council in the Gassol local government area of Taraba State has denied allegations of land grabbing and harassment levelled against its head, Idi Chiroma, by the people of Kwararafa’s chiefdom.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Kwararafa people staged a protest on Saturday against alleged coercion by Mr Chiroma to pay him royalties on farmlands and ponds, even when they were not under his chiefdom.

Reacting to the allegations in Jalingo on Sunday, the secretary of the Gassol traditional council, Yunusa Gassol, said the protesters were out to malign and damage the reputation of their traditional ruler and his office.

Mr Gassol said the villages in Kwararafa chiefdom were defined in the law establishing the chiefdom.

“The law that created Kwararafa Chiefdom clearly shows that two districts were carved out, that is, Yaku Shamaki and Kwararafa districts, as well as other villages, while Tella, Sabongida, Takai, Dissol, Nanguru are in Gassol chiefdom.

“His Royal Highness cannot descend too low to demand royalties from areas outside his domain. The allegations are mere lies aimed at denting the good image of His Royal Highness.

“Again, his Royal Highness has not instituted any case against anyone from Kwararafa as it was alleged by the mischief makers who are bent on dragging the person of the Chief of Gassol to public disrepute.

“The Chief of Gassol was never a party in all the cases. The stakeholders of Gassol actually went to court to challenge some of the villages carved out of Gassol Chiefdom, and the cases were decided in favour of the Gassol stakeholders.

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“The State government appealed against the judgement at the appeal court in Yola; the appeal court also ended up in favour of the Gassol stakeholders,” Mr Gassol said.

He also described the allegation of police harassment and intimidation as baseless and false.

“The Chief of Gassol has not even for once visited the disputed areas or sent anyone to act on his behalf since the creation of Kwararafa Chiefdom, so how can anybody accuse him of harassing or intimidating the people of Kwararafa Chiefdom?” he said.