Alleged Harassment: Dooshima Residents call For Removal of Taraba Area Court Judge
By Andrew Ojih, Jalingo.
Residents of Dooshima in Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba State on Wednesday called on the State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and the chief Judge of Taraba State, Justice Joel Filibus Agya to as a matter of urgency, remove the Judge in charge of Grade I Area Court in Ibi Local Government Area, Saidu Muhammad for alleged harassment and intimidation.
Justice Joel Filibus Agya, Chief Judge of Taraba State
Mr. Istifanus Moses and the Madakin Dooshima who made the call while briefing journalists in Jalingo alleged that the Judge, Saidu Muhammad who is an indigene of Ibi Local Government Area, conspired with one Adamu Suleiman Tafida and Alih Buhari to intimidate, harass and confiscated their fish ponds among others.
“As we speak, we are going through hell in the hands of Judge 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 Dooshima under Sarkin kudu Chiefdom” they said.
Before 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 being claimed by Adamu Suleiman Tafida and Alih Buhari.
They lamented that judge Saidu ignored the letters from the National Boundary Commission, the Taraba State Boundary Commission and Bureau for Local Government, Traditions and Chieftaincy Affairs, directing both parties to maintained the initial demarcation on river Benue respectively.
They disclosed that despite these directives, the Judge on Saturday 11th January 2025, flagrantly ordered for the arrest of the ward head of Dooshima, Mallam Ibrahim and kept him in detention at the Ibi Police station till Sunday 12/01/2025, adding that it took the intervention of the Council Chairman of Ibi Local Government, Alhaji Iliya Jibu before his release.
They noted that letters from the National Boundary Commission, 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, which means Adamu Suleiman Tafida and Alih Buhari who are from Ibi Chiefdom have no moral justification to file a complain before Ibi Grade I Area Court.
“I want you to note that after receiving the summon from the Grade I Area Court, we honored the Court and we were on our way to the court but to our greatest dismay, there was a standing directive by some powerful individuals from Ibi town to the operators of the canoes and ferries at the Ibi River Bank not cross us to attend the Court.
“We indeed explained this scenario to the Judge but he still ordered the dentition of Madakin Dooshima at Ibi Police station”, they noted.
Moses, equally alleged that the Area Court Judge was currently acting on the script of big wiggs from Ibi to forcefully hijack fish ponds in Dooshima community under Sarkin Kudu Chiefdom.
” We are putting this call because on Sunday 12/10/2025, Judge Saidu Muhammed issued a summon to madaki Dooshima and myself Istifanus Moses with plans to send us to prison” they added.
“As we speak with you, the Judge on Monday 13/01/2025 sent a warrant of arrest to one malam Adamu Dan Bauchi. We are appealing to the Judicial Service Commission and the appropriate authorities to called Muhammad to order and stop him from further harassing and intimidating people of the area.
However, when contacted, the Judge, Saidu Muhammad denied the allegations of intimidating or harassing Mr Istifanus Moses and the Madakin Dooshima.
He said he doesn’t know Mr Istifanus Moses and the Madakin Dooshima 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 Dooshima village.
The Court sent a summon requesting them to appear before it 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” Judge Saidu Mohammad, said.
