Taraba Chiefdom Dismisses Land Grabbing, Intimidation Allegations Against Monarch
By Chuwang Dungs
The Gassol Traditional Chiefdom in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State has dismissed allegations of land grabbing, harassment and intimidation leveled against its monarch, Idi Chiroma by the people of Kwararafa Chiefdom in the area.
The people of Kwararafa Chiefdom had on Saturday staged a protest alleging that Mr Chiroma was coercing them to pay him royalties on farmlands and ponds, even when they were not under his chiefdom.
They further alleged that he uses security officials to perfect his actions and intimidate those opposed to him.
Reacting to the allegations in Jalingo on Sunday, the Secretary of the Gassol Chiefdom, Yunusa Gassol, said they were embarrassed by the development.
He said the protesters were out to malign and damage the reputation of their traditional ruler family and his office.
Mr Gassol said there is no iota of truth in the allegations, stressing that all the villages belonging to the carved Kwararafa Chiefdom were well defined in the law.
“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 for 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.
“The State government appealed against the judgement at the appeal court in Yola, the appeal also ended up in favor of the Gassol stakeholders,” Gassol said.
He described the allegation of Police harassment and intimidation against the people of Kwararafa 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 asked.
