Taraba Residents Demand Removal of Judge
By Chuwang Dungs, Jalingo
Residents of Doorshima in Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba State, are demanding the removal of Saidu Muhammad, the judge in charge of Grade I Area Court in Ibi for alleged gross misconduct.
The residents made the call on Wednesday while addressing newsmen in Jalingo, the state capital.
In a statement signed by Istifanus Moses and Madakin Doorshima, they appealed to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and the state chief judge, Joel Agya to as a matter of urgency remove Muhammad.
They accused him of confiscating their fish ponds, intimidation, harassment among others.
“As we speak, we are going through hell in the hands of 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 alleged.
They said 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 claimed by Adamu Tafida and Alih Buhari.
According to them, the area court judge ignored the letters from the National Boundary Commission (NBC), the Taraba state boundary commission and bureau for local government and chieftaincy Affairs, directing both parties to maintain the initial demarcation on river Benue respectively.
“The letters from the NBC, state boundary commission and the bureau for local government, traditions and chieftaincy Affairs on the disputed fish ponds clearly indicated that the said fish ponds is situated under Sarkin Kudu traditional council, therefore Adamu Tafida and Alih Buhari who are from Ibi Chiefdom have no moral justification to file a complaint before Ibi grade I area court.
“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, it took the intervention of the council chairman of Ibi local government, Iliya Jibu before he was release.
“I want you to note that after receiving the summon from the grade I area court, while on our way to honor the court summon to our greatest dismay, we were told that there was a directive by some powerful individuals from Ibi town to the operators of the canoes and ferries at the Ibi River bank not to allow us to cross.
“We indeed explained this scenario to the judge but it fell on his deaf ears, he then ordered for the detention of Madakin Doorshima,” they stated.
The residents further alleged that Muhammad is acting on the script of some big wigs from Ibi, who are bent on taking over their community fish ponds.
“We are putting this call because on Sunday 12/10/2025 Muhammed issued a summon to Madaki Dooshima and myself Istifanus Moses with plans to send us to prison
“As we speak with you, the judge on Monday 13/01/2025 sent a warrant of arrest to one Adamu Dan Bauchi. We are appealing to the judicial Service commission and the appropriate authorities to call Muhammad to order and stop him from further harassing and intimidating people of our area.
When contacted, Mr Muhammad denied the allegations, he claimed that he does not know Mr Istifanus Moses and Madakin Doorshima, “one on one.”
“I only acted based on the complaint brought to my court by one Alih Buhari over a disputed fish pond 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,” he said.
