The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has yesterday ordered the Governor of Taraba State, Darius Dickson Ishaku, to appear before it to answer the allegation of taking a side in setting up the panel to probe the unabated clash that has pitched Tiv and Jukun natives against each other in the state. Jointly in the summoned were four service chiefs of the country and head of other security agencies amongst others. Justice Ahmed Mohammed gave the order while ruling on a fundamental rights enforcement suits filed by some group of aggrieved persons in the state.
The plaintiffs include an organisation of Tiv Tribesmen, Mdzough U Tiv, its President-General, Ihigagh Iorbee, a retired commissioner of police; David Uchiv; Jacob Gbagede; Julius Kwaghkar and Dr Yakubu Agbiye.
While the respondent joint in the suit was: Governor Ishaku, the Taraba State Government, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice.
The probe panel (4th respondent) and the 5th to the 12th respondents, comprising the Chairman of the commission of inquiry, Justice Kumai Aka’ahs, who is a retired Justice of the Supreme Court and the seven other members, were also invited.
Others, who were sued as the 13th to 19th respondents and also summoned by the court, were the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Service and the Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The sitting Judge ordered that the entire 19 respondents to appear before it on August 26 to explain why the panel of enquiry set up by the Governor should not be stopped from continuing as demanded by the plaintiff.
The suit marked: /955/2020 on Aug. 14, as filled by Chief Sabastine Hon, SAN, counsel to the plaintiff who alleged that the panel set up by the governor was being biased against the Tiv natives in the state.
The plaintiff accused the Governor of using his office and influence as the sitting Governor through exploiting his service Chiefs to forcefully to evict Tivs from Taraba state which has been their ancestral land.
Though the plaintiff admitted that the Tivs and Jukun natives have a perennial dispute in the state, however, the terms and reference of the panel of enquiry did not mention tribe or community in the dispute. With this, the plaintiff claimed the respondent the governor has discriminated against them and have accentuated the Tiv natives as an adversary.
The plaintiff, therefore, prays the court should restrain the panel of enquiry from continuing with further sitting to conduct the proceeding. The plaintiff also prays that the court should restrain the service chiefs from evicting the Tivs tribal men from their homes in the state.
While delivering the Judgement, the Judge held that it prefers to summon the respondent to appear before it to show cause on why the court should not grant the prayer of the plaintiff.
Consequently, it held that all respondents should appear before it on August 26 to show cause on why the plaintiff request should not be granted.
