By Rikwense Muri
General Danjuma surprised his audience during the installation of Barr Sopiya Danlami Boka Gboshi III as the 1st Class Chamba Chief of Takum. He admitted being the instigator of the crisis in Takum and elaborated on his motivations for combatting the Kuteb to claim the Paramount Stool from them. In his youth, he noted that all the lands in Takum were under the ownership of the Kuteb, and it was Ukwe who wielded the authority to allocate these lands to individuals interested in constructing within the urban areas. Ukwe Ali Ibrahim, whom he branded as “a bad Chief,” and whose demise brought him satisfaction, was the monarch who granted him the land on which he erected his mansion in Takum, as well as the T.Y Acres in Takum. He gave all the ethnic groups in Takum recognition and independence to practice their cultures and traditions from the Jukuns to Tiv, Hausawa and Chamba, all were welcome to Ukwe Palace and were members of the Takum Traditional Council.
Ukwe Ali was also recognized for his pro-development stance and his inclusive leadership style, allowing all those seeking land to build in Takum. General Danjuma’s residence in Fadama Takum and the residences of numerous Chamba elites, whose land allocations were facilitated by Ukwe Ali Ibrahim, serve as evidence that the General did not treat Ukwe Ali memory fairly at the event. Despite the accolades and commendations bestowed upon him by Ukwe Ali Ibrahim and Takum residents when he was appointed a General in the Nigerian Army, the Ukwe was later subjected to house arrest, imprisonment, assassination attempts, and the promulgation of the controversial 1975 Gazette that ensured his rule was marred by anguish and frustration, all orchestrated by the same general. Becoming a King in those days means having access to land. The fact that all lands were allocated or bought from the Kuteb in Takum indicates that no one have ever rule over Takum outside the Kuteb.
However, Ukwe Ali Ibrahim, being a superior leader, accomplished a great deal during his reign in Takum, despite the efforts of prominent sons of Takum, such as General Danjuma, to undermine him. One of the reasons the General publicly disparaged and accused former Ukwe Ali Ibrahim of being “a bad Chief”was his belief that Ukwe, who owned all the land in Takum, allocated land to Kuteb individuals “strategically”to foster Takum’s development. General Danjuma should respond to the public’s inquiry as to how the Chamba can claim ownership of Takum when all the land in Takum is owned or allocated by the Kuteb. He should explain why the Chamba do not inherit land from their purported former rulers of Takum. How can one assert authority over a region while simultaneously expressing dissatisfaction that the people whom you claimed resided on the mountain are the same individuals who allocated land for your residences, yet you publicly accuse the former Ukwe of not providing you with strategic land for construction? I shall refrain from further commentary on this matter…
History reveals that the Kuteb individuals who received land allocations during Ukwe Ali’s reign established numerous institutions that transformed Takum into a hub for education, human capital development, and commerce. These individuals constructed Ande Hospital, Kwe Kashibu School, Nati School, Jonas Clinic, Takum Rice Mills, Nigeria Clinic, Raphael Hospital, Nyapuri Commercial Secondary School (currently Govt Commercial Secondary School), among others. These efforts were complemented by those who erected hotels and business conglomerates, elevating Takum to its former status before many were destroyed during the Federal Government-backed Jukun-Chamba genocide against the Kuteb in Takum in 1997/1998.
In addition to these private initiatives, Ukwe Ali Ibrahim, whom Gen. T Y Danjuma deemed “a reprehensible Chief”for identifying as “a Kuteb and a Muslim,”ensured that the local government fulfilled its obligation to develop the town. Under his administration, Takum saw the construction of first, second, third, and fourth tarred roads, an ultra-modern market, a motor park, a stadium, a civic center, a Local Government Secretariat, Takum-Kashimbilla Road, Takum–Mararaba Road, Donga Road Takum, and Takum Airstrip.
Ukwe Ali Ibrahim facilitated the government’s takeover of several strategic institutions to ensure sustainable development and their effectiveness. Regrettably, the government proceeded to lower the standards of these renowned institutions that were instrumental in shaping Takum into what it once was. These institutions include Takum Christian Hospital (now Takum General Hospital), Combined Secondary School (now Mbiya Govt Secondary School), Lissam Community Secondary School (now Govt Secondary School), and Nyapuri Commercial Secondary School (now Govt Commercial Secondary School). Ukwe Ali Ibrahim was not only a distinguished leader but also a visionary who was instrumental in the development of modern Takum. The evidence is irrefutable.
Ukwe Ali urged General Danjuma to establish a university in Takum during his tenure, but the General declined, likely due to his animosity toward the Paramount Ruler and the fact that the rulers of Takum were Kuteb, while Ukwe Ali Ibrahim was also a Muslim. As Ukwe Ali worked to develop Takum, the General’s disdain and hostility towards him and the Kuteb community became more apparent. The only institution the General brought to Takum was the Army Ada Barracks Takum, which seems to be tasked with enforcing austerity measures against the Kuteb to reduce their influence in the area.
Efforts to persuade the General to use his position to bring development to Takum through roads were unsuccessful, as he refused to invest in the area as long as the Kuteb remained the traditional rulers. Since the 1960s, his goal had been to remove the Ukwe Takum stool, despite government inquiries confirming its exclusivity to the Kuteb. The General remained fixated on acquiring the stool, making it a condition for his investment in Taraba State.
In 2015, Arc Darius Ishaku was supported to become Governor to fulfill the General’s agenda. A young Chamba warrior, Shiban Tikari, was made Takum Local Government chairman. This shifted the attention of the General back to Takum as his Foundation came and built a Hospital and his company came and invested in Kashimbilla Dam and partner with government for the construction of some roads. By 2020, it was evident that Governor Ishaku was unable to meet the General’s expectations. In 2021, Hon Shiban Tikari was tasked with executing the General’s plan, bringing in mercenary bandits to weaken the Kuteb economically and politically. The bandits, stationed in T.Y acres Takum and Kashimbilla, destroyed numerous Kuteb villages within a year. Now Kuteb farmers became IDPs scattered across the state with no government plan for Reintegration. This havoc went on as the State Government kept denying any crisis in Takum until the bandits killed the Commanding Officer of Takum Army Barracks. This event led to the arrest of Hon Shiban Tikari for his involvement in criminal activities and many atrocities in Takum. He was later released and has remain att large.
In 2023, the General supported a young retired military officer, Lt. Col Agbu Kefas, in the gubernatorial election. The Governor was instructed to remove the Ukwe Takum stool and appoint a Chamba man as Paramount Ruler within a year. The Governor rebranded bandit attacks in Kuteb land as a Takum Chieftaincy Crisis, garnering support from various institutions to fulfill the General’s wishes.
On May 18, 2024, the Governor and the state finally executed the assignment as he appointed Chief Danlami Sopiya Boka as the 1st Class Chief of Takum at the General’s behest. In his speech at such event, Instead of gratitude, the General expressed his disdain for the Kuteb people, particularly Ukwe Ali Ibrahim Kuffang II while describing Ukwe Audu who ruled while he was a kid as a better leader. The accolades given to Ukwe Audu Gangkwe were merely a ploy to persuade the Princes in his family to accept the newly created 3rd Class Kwe stool, which the Kuteb community rejected. Only time will reveal the outcome of this situation.
After reading this account, one may comprehend the General’s animosity towards the former Ukwe Takum. May God forgive him, and may history judge him accordingly.
