Residents of the Kwararafa chiefdom in Gassol local government council of Taraba State have called on Governor Agbu Kefas to intervene in the alleged harassment by the Chief of the Gassol area.

The residents who came out en-mass on the weekend to press home their demands alleged that the monarch, Idris Yakubu Chiroma, has been using security operatives and the courts to oppress them in the chiefdom.

During the protest which took place in the community, the community members alleged that the chief, whose authority does not extend to Kwararafa, has been using security forces and the courts to intimidate them.

Led by their spokesperson, Kefas Sabo, the residents claimed that incidents of police harassment, intimidation, and unlawful detentions intensified after the chief’s younger brother was elected to the House of Representatives in 2023 to represent Gassol and Bali.

They said the chief, who was not happy with the 2018 creation of the Kwararafa Chiefdom by former Governor Darius Ishaku, has launched multiple legal challenges against its existence, adding that, “despite these efforts, the courts have consistently ruled in favor of the Kwararafa Chiefdom.”

Kwararafa, as observed by The Guardian, was one of 47 chiefdoms established in 2018 under the Taraba State Chieftaincy Amendment Law. 

The villages under its jurisdiction, as further revealed by The Guardian findings, include Tella, Dobeli, Dissol, Takai, Sabongida, Tunga Anguli, Dinya, Nafuche, Yaku-Cholo, Gidan-Kussa, Nanguru, Yaku-Magaji, and Garko. 

The protesters who expressed deep frustration over what they described as the chief’s relentless hostility, claimed that while other newly created chiefdoms coexist peacefully with their neighboring communities, Kwararafa has faced aggression from Gassol’s leadership.

 In addition to legal suits against the chiefdom, the chief, as announced by them, has filed no fewer than “39 lawsuits against local farmers in the chiefdom.”

They were also observed to have voiced concerns about alleged plans to alter the official map delineating the boundaries between Kwararafa and Gassol.

Piqued by the development, they urged Governor Kefas to take swift action to prevent further encroachment on their land and protect the integrity of their chiefdom. 

When contacted, the monarch who spoke through one of the elders in his Chiefdom, Senator Ibrahim Goje, described the protesters and their sponsors as persons who have bent on jeopardizing the peace in the council and the state.

He described the allegations as “false”, saying the protesters were not people of the chiefdom in question, and urged the public to disregard their claims.