A cross the north, the Gbagyi people are known to be very docile, preferring to stay away from trouble and always seemingly running away from civilisation. It is believed that they lost most of their ancestral lands to other tribes because of their laid-back attitude. So, when the news broke on January 3 that their youths attacked the chief of Jere in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, many people quickly concluded it was a clash between them and Fulani herdsmen. The assumption was wrong. It turned out to be a clash between the Gbagyi in Jere chiefdom and their paramount ruler, Dr. Sa’ad Usman, a former Secretary to the State Government who turned out to be a Fulani.
The attack left the traditional ruler-half dead and currently receiving treatment at the National Hospital, Abuja. One of his attackers who was identified as Ayuba Barde is also receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.
However, there have been claims and counter-claims as to what led to the attack and who the aggressor is. While the Gbagyi people accused the chief of undermining protocol and slapping Ayuba Barde on his farm, the Jere traditional council said it was Barde and his group who attacked the chief who had stopped to address them while on his way to Abuja. There are indications that both parties in the dispute have something to hide as the issue leading to the attack may be more than a land tussle as the case concerning the land is presently before a Kafanchan High Court.
Gbagyi youths told newsmen that the chief was fond of taking over their land and selling them to the highest bidder. They also accused him of cutting down Barde’s economic trees on the disputed land, a situation which they claimed to have reported to the police on several occasions.
Their spokesman, Ayuba Daro Kakaraka said: “The most recent complaint at the Jere Police station is the destruction of Mr. Ayuba Barde’s yams, banana and hungry rice (acha) on December 31, 2013… Like in many other complaints, the police did nothing because the Chief of Jere and his agents are law in Jere chiefdom. Again, despite the fact that Ayuba Barde and others have sued the Chief of Jere in the High Court of Kafanchan…, the Chief, in clear disregard and disrespect to law and order continued to invade the land and dispose of same… This immoral attitude id a clear invitation to crises which he ignited on January 3, 2014″. Kakaraka accused the chief of provocating the attack on him saying “on Friday, 3 January 2014, Ayuba Barde was on his farm when he was physically and grieviously attacked by the Chief of JEre in the presence of his bandits without any provocation. Ayuba Barde had alternative than to attack him back in self defence. In the process, Ayuba Barde was shot and fatally wounded and left in the pool of his own blood to die. He was later taken to the hospital where he is currently under intensive care. It will be recalled that the Chief of Jere had gone to Ayuba Barde’s farm uninvited and was the first person to attack him. The truth is that if the Chief of Jere had not gone to Ayuba Barde’s farm and attack him, there would not have been any breach of the peace… It is clear that the Chief of Jere… went to the farm to murder Ayuba Barde in order to frustrate the suit at the Kafanchan High Court and thus conscript his land to satisfy his insatiable greed for land. The entire previous anomalies regarding this land invasion and other violation of the fundamental human rights of the Gbagyi people have severally been reported to constituted authority with no adequate action taken to avert the likely danger”.
But the Jere Traditional Council denied these claims. Secretary to the Council, Alhaji Aliyu Zubairu said the land in dispute belong to the Chief of Jere and not the Gbagyi people, adding that since ascending the throne, Dr. Usman has never taken over anybody’s land. Zubairu disclosed that the land initialy belonged to the late Dallatun Zazzau, Alhaji Hayatudeen who inturn sold it to Dr. Usman when he could no longer farm on it. The confirmed that the case regarding the land is presently before the Kafanchan High Court, pointing out that the case was fixed Thursday, January 9, 2014 for hearing. Narrating the ordeal of the traditional ruler, he said that the Chief “was on his way to Abuja through the newly constructed Jere/Bwari road when he saw a gathering of Gbaygi youths stopping him and he ordered his driver to stop and addressed them. In disrespect to his Royal Highness, one Ayuba Daro Kakaraka shouted on his royal highness, thus attracting the attention of his driver and orderly. The Gbagyi youths descended on them and the police orderly fired shuts into the air to dispass them. The Gbagyi youths mobilised and brought out weapons, injured the driver and the police orderly, wounding them on the head and forcefully collecting the orderly’s gun. Dr. Sa’ad Usman was attacked and injured with deep cut on his head, neck and back… and he became unconscious. He was however rushed to Sabon Wuse General Hospital in Niger state by a good Samaritan for treatment. It was at the hospital, after identifying him that the chiefdom was informed. By the time the news spread round Jere and environ, the youths mobilised themselves for a reprisal attack. However, the elders of Jere community made a quick response by stopping them from taking the laws into their hands. His Royal Highness, Sarkin Jere has never tampered with their family land, not to speak of the properties of his subjects. He however has landed properties he purchased and certificated by the various land authorities. Contrary to earlier news reports by some media that Sarkin Jere had gone to a farmland belonging to Ayuba Barde and the insinuation that he is used to disposing the so-scalled Gbagyi people of Issah farmland is not true and a calculated effort to smear the good image of Sarkin Jere. In fact, he bought the land in question from the late Dallatun Zazzau, Alhaji Hayatudden who bought it from the owners and was farming on it”.
The Gbagyi people feel that the government and security agents have taken sides in the matter. The government, through the Director General, Media and Publicity to the governor, Ahmed Maiyaki, in a statement, ordered a probe into the incident, while assuring the people of the area that the government will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that justice is done.
The community residents accused the police of conniving with the chief to deny them their land. According to them, since the incident took place, the police has embarked on what they called one-sided arrest, torture and detention of innocent Gbagyi youths and demanded the immediate release of those arrested if they will not be charged to court. They also accused the Chairman of Kagarko Local Government, Danjuma Akuso of failing to comply with government to stop all ongoing work on the said land until all contending issues are amicably resolved. In a letter to Akuso as Chairman of Kagarko local government area, the GDU accused the Emir of “consistent trespass on the farm land at Issah/Chinka Junction”. The letter dated October 18, 2013 and was signed by the Chairman and General Secretary, John Bako and Joseph Gajere respectively, the union said “you are quite in picture of the wrangling in the parcel of land at Issah/Chinka junction which presently stand litigation in the High Court of Justice, Kafanchan between Ayuba Barde and others vs Yuhuza Makama Zaria and Dr. Sa’ad Usman, Chief of Jere. We say this with assurance because you were instructed by His Excellency, the Deputy Governor to stop every ongoing work on that parcel of land until all crises relating to the said land are resolved in the interest of peace and peaceful co-existence. This instruction was given at the instance of our invitation for a meeting at the Kaduna State government house with the Deputy Governor on May 27, 2013 over issues bordered on the development layout which you were part of. Our people have severally mentioned the continuous trespass of our farmlans and its attedsnt consequences to you at various meetings organised by your very self in you office in connection with the development layout in other parts of Gbagyi land including this particular parcel of land, yet, nothing had been done to avert the danger. it is with utmost surprise that as the Chief Security Officer of Kagarko local government, you have undermined the instruction of the Executive governor and have allowed work to continue in the said land at the detriment of peace and peaceful co-existence… Non-compliance with His Excellency’s directive shall be construed as taking side with the Jere Traditional Council which will leave us with no alternative than to mobilise our people for a peaceful protest to express our displeasure over your inaction on various injustices mated against the Gbagyi people of Kagarko local government”.
Investigations revealed that the Gbagyi people have long been complaining about trespass of their farm land by the Chief of Jere and his team with several correspondences to the police and the government. There is however no evidence that any action has ever been taken to address their complaints.
However, the Southern Kaduna Lawyers Forum warned against taking sides in the matter in order not to aggravate the already tense issues. While asking all concerned to follow the path of peace, they warned against keeping persons in detention indefinitely without being charged to court.
