The Chairman of Bali local government council in Taraba State, Alhaji Dauda Dakka, has directed the district head of Zudai community, Mijinyawa Mohammed, to as a matter of urgency return the farmland he allegedly confiscated from the Tiv community in the area back to the owners.
The directive, which was handed down to the monarch on Tuesday, as gathered by our reporter, followed the alleged confiscation of farmlands owned by the Tiv community in the area by the monarch.
The Tiv community, it would be recalled, had earlier petitioned the council and the security agencies over the seizure and sell of their ancestral farmlands and homes to other people, rendering them homeless.
After a thorough investigation, the chairman directed the monarch to immediately return all the lands that he had sold to their rightful owners.
The chairman also cautioned the traditional ruler and other monarchs within the council against selling lands.
He recalled that the state government had suspended sale of lands in the state, adding that any one found to have acted otherwise had violated the directive and would be sanctioned accordingly.
“I am directing the District Head of Zudai to unconditionally returned the seized farmlands and homes back to their owners. I don’t want to believe that you have sold the farmlands because there is already a subsisting order by the Taraba State government suspending sells of local community lands,” he said.
“Even if those lands were leased out, I am directing you to, within two weeks, return them to their owners.”
He admonished the traditional leaders on the need to live in harmony with their subjects, cautioning them against acts that were capable of breeding crisis