‎Protest as Niger Residents reject alleged move to Adopt Abuja

‎‎Tension is mounting in Dakwa community as residents have accused a district head appointed by the Esu of Bwari of allegedly harassing them and forcing them to abandon their Niger State identity for Abuja, amid growing concerns over a possible boundary dispute between the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Niger State.
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‎The residents, who protested at the palace of His Royal Highness, Malam Muhammadu Auwal Ibrahim, on Saturday, accused the district head, Alhassan Babachukuri, also known as Sarkin Alhassan, of demanding that they change their property allocation documents from Niger State to the FCT.
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‎They said their families had lived in Dakwa for generations and maintained that their properties and allocation documents fell under Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State.
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‎Speaking with Daily Trust at the venue of the protest, the District Head of Zuba, Malam Halilu Abubakar Garba, said the dispute started after the appointment of Babachukuri as the district head of Dakwa.
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‎Garba said the appointment had triggered alleged harassment of residents, including attempts to compel them to identify with Abuja despite their insistence that they belonged to Niger State.
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‎”They have been in Dakwa all this while. Their grandparents and great-grandparents have been there and lived peacefully until the coming of one man called Alhassan Babasukudi, whom the Etsu of Bwari appointed as the district head of Dakwa. That was the beginning of the problem,” he said.
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‎He alleged that the district head had been molesting residents and forcing them to adopt Abuja as their place of identification, despite their property documents bearing Niger State.
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‎”All their allocation papers bear Niger State. He is forcing the people to change their documents to FCT, and they are not willing. They told him they are under Tafa Local Government of Niger State, not the FCT,” Garba said.
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‎The Zuba district head said the latest incident that heightened tensions occurred about one or two weeks ago when Babachukuri allegedly removed Niger State references from signboards in the community.
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‎He accused the district head of painting over signboards bearing the name of Tafa Local Government whenever he came across them.
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‎Garba also alleged that Babachukuri went to the police post in Dakwa and erased the Niger State inscription from its signboard.
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‎He said the alleged action frightened residents, who feared that the situation could escalate and threaten their lives and properties.
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‎”They are worried that if he could do that in the presence of the police without any consequences, their lives and properties might be in danger,” he said.
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‎Garba said the residents therefore approached the traditional ruler to seek intervention and protection before the situation deteriorated further.
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‎He added that he had discussed the matter with his local government chairman, who promised to arrange a meeting involving him, the Chief of Bwari and the area council chairman after a scheduled flag-off ceremony in Kaduna.
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‎According to him, the local government chairman, area commander, police authorities and other security agencies were already aware of the situation.
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‎The district head said the residents remained apprehensive because they did not know what might happen next.
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‎”They want the people to live peacefully. Even if the area does not fall under the authority they are claiming, the government should intervene and resolve the situation. All the residents want is to live in peace without harassment,” he said.
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‎Garba warned that the situation could result in loss of lives if the authorities failed to intervene, adding that the community had video recordings and other evidence to support its allegations.
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‎He said the residents were ready to present the materials to relevant authorities to substantiate their claims.
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‎However, when contacted by Daily Trust, the accused district head, Sarkin Alhassan Babachukuri, denied the allegations, saying he was unaware of any protest and had no intention of transferring Dakwa and Dei communities from Niger State to the FCT.
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‎”No, no, there is nothing like that,” he said.
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‎When pressed to speak further on the allegations, he declined to comment.