Taraba: Community Accuses Bali Council Chairman Of Fuelling Crisis In Zudai.
Emmanuel Awari-Jalingo
The people of Garin Barau village in Zudai District in Bali local government area of Taraba State have accussed the Chairman of the council, Mr. Aboki Dauda of fuelling conflict between the people of Garin Barau and Dik villages in Kaigama Chiefdom.
Mallam Abdul Hassan, a community leader from Garin Barau village made the accusation on Thursday while briefing newsmen in Jalingo.
Hassan dislosed that the current land crisis between the two communities that has left several persons injured was caused by the council Chairman who forcefully confiscated lands belonging to the people of Garin Barau and sold same to the people of Dik village.
Hassan said that the action of the chairman was coming after the State Chairman of the Council of Chiefs HRH Adda Alli, Aku Uka of Wukari had advised that all cases of land allocation be reported to him through the Bureau for local government and Chieftaincy Affairs to avoid crises.
The community leader said that Gov. Agbu Kefas had equally directed the chairmen of councils to liaise with traditional rulers in resolving land matters within their domain and that the Chairman of Bali flagrantly disobeyed the directive.
He said that the conflict between the people of Garin Barau village in Kuru Jibu Chiefdom and Dik village in Kaigama Chiefdom was as a result of seizure of land by the council Chairman.
“‘You see, the people of Garin Barau village in Kuru Jibu Chiefdom and the people of Dik village in Kaigama Chiefdom have lived peacefully as good neighbours until two weeks ago when the Council Chairman, Mr. Aboki Dauda seized the land belonging to Garin Barau and sold it to some persons in Dik village. ” he said.
He said the action of the Chairman had forced the people of the two villages to engage themselves in communal conflicts resulting to several persons sustaining injuries who were currently receiving treatment at Bali general hospital.
Hassan called on Governor Agbu Kefas to wade into the crisis with a view to addressing the impasse.
When contacted, the council Chairman, Aboki Dauda said that the land in question was originally under Kaigama Chiefdom.
He said that though, the inhabitants were people of Jibu extraction yet they fall under Kaigama Chiefdom.
The Chairman said that his action was in agreement with the Bereau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Our correspondent reports that the Chairman of Bali local government council, Mr. Aboki Dauda has of late suffered from all kinds of accusations, the recent was his alleged withholding of Some local government staff salaries for months.