"GULUMBE FARMING COMMUNITY CRIES OUT OVER FARMLAND GRABBING, APPEALS TO GOV. IDRIS FOR INTERVENTION"

Byline: Umar Faruk

 Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, Nigeria - August 5, 2025 (Series News Online)

 Residents of the Gulumbe agricultural district in Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area, Kebbi State, have issued an urgent plea to Governor Nasir Idris, seeking his immediate action to stop the purported forcible seizure of their arable lands.

 Alhaji Abubakar Tafidan-Gulumbe, the community's representative, declared, "For generations, we have cultivated our lands, with some farmers inheriting their plots from ancestors. Suddenly, an individual named Mustapha Sani-Zauro arrived with heavy machinery to clear our lands without prior notification or approval from our traditional leaders."

Tafidan-Gulumbe cited Mustapha Sani-Zauro as claiming, "When questioned about the identity of those behind this illicit land acquisition, he alleged that he was acting on behalf of one of Governor Nasir Idris's wife." However, Tafidan-Gulumbe stressed, "We refute this assertion, confident that Governor Idris would never condone such unlawful actions, nor permit his family members to engage in them."

 The community spokesperson extolled Governor Idris's virtues, stating, "Long before his gubernatorial tenure, Governor Idris was renowned for his integrity and piety. Whenever he requires land, he purchases it lawfully, as evidenced by a past transaction where he bought a plot from me personally."

Tafidan-Gulumbe revealed that the alleged land grabbing has had devastating consequences, impacting over 180 farmers and incurring losses surpassing N30 million due to the destruction of standing crops like millet, groundnuts, maize, and guinea corn. He noted, "This rainy season, we had already planted crops valued at N30 million, which are now jeopardized."

 In light of this crisis, the Gulumbe farming community is fervently appealing to Governor Idris for redress, with Tafidan-Gulumbe affirming, "As law-abiding citizens, we seek Governor Idris's intervention to safeguard our lands, reaffirming our allegiance to his administration."

 To mitigate tensions, Tafidan-Gulumbe announced the community's intention to file formal complaints with pertinent authorities, explaining, "Our legal counsel will submit petitions to security agencies, while the Gulumbe District will notify the Emirate Council. This aims to prevent our farmers and youth from resorting to vigilantism. We have also alerted our Ward Councilor and the state assembly representative to this developing situation."