A Passionate appeal has been made to the Governor of Niger State, Hon. Mohammed Umaru Bago, to constitute a commission of inquiry to investigate the endless royal tussle in the Doko community of Lavun Local Government Area of Niger State.
A traditional title holder in the area, Alhaji Kudu Mohammed Jiya, made the appeal while speaking during an exclusive interview with Newsline in Minna at the weekend.
He said the constitution of the commission of inquiry into the incessant crisis in the area over the years will bring about lasting peace and security in Doko and its environs. Alhaji Kudu Jiya, who is the Sarkin Yaki of Doko land, noted with dismay the ceaseless crisis that had engulfed the once peaceful community over the years and called on the state governor to, as a matter of necessity, constitute the commission to ensure peace in the area.
"Setting up the commission of inquiry into this matter will unravel the whole issue and allegations against the dethroned village head (Dazhi) of Doko.
"The commission of inquiry will also bring about peace and security in the Doko community; hence, we are appealing to the governor of Niger State, Hon. Umar Bago, to set up the commission to settle this crisis in Doko once and for all", he stated.
The traditional title holder noted with disappointment the role some prominent individuals in Doko were playing in fueling the crisis over the years, describing the acts as painful. "Some well-to-do individuals from the community based in Abuja are behind our plight in Doko. They are funding the security agencies to arrest and detain our youth.
He called on the state governor to, as a matter of urgency, constitute the commission of inquiry to ensure the peace and security of the people of Doko; this, according to the traditional title holder, will stall peace in the area. He disclosed that the dethroned village head had dragged the state government, the Bida Emirate Council, the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Commissioner for Justice, and the Attorney General of Niger State to Minna High Court, and he lost the case.
Dissatisfied with the judgement of the Niger State High Court, he went on Appeal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, yet the court of Appeal dismissed the appeal and said that he could only be reinstated after due clearance from the weighty allegations.
"I'm of the opinion that resolving the remaining issues could be prejudicial to any subsequent action the emirate council might want to take on the matter.
It would be recalled that the Doko community has been engulfed in a series of land and royal crises in the last ten years, as all efforts to restore peace in the community have not yielded the needed result.
Several lives and properties have been lost to the endless crisis, even as some youths are languishing in Minna and Bida prisons.