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Crisis Rocks Jenjo Kingdom Over Ownership of Shrine, Forest

Two Injured, Scores Arrested By Police

• Jakka People Berates  Hon Charles Mijankai for  Meddling In Traditional Affairs



Fresh crisis is brewing among the Jenjo people in in Karim -Lamido local government area of Taraba State over who owns and controls the Mihu shrine and Forest among the three clans that made up its kingdom.

Three clans that constitute the Jenjo kingdom which has its ancestral headquarters at Jen, include, the Saredau clan, the Saretunde clan and the Jakka clan.

Taraba Truth and Facts Newspaper gathered that crisis started in the once peaceful kingdom after a disagreement over which clan has custodian over the Mou shrine and the land where the said shrine is situated had led to two people seriously injured and scores currently remanded in Jalingo Prison..

Those arrested include: Musa Ndoh, Ayuba Ndoh, Aminu Musa Ndoh, Pheetami Musa Ndoh, Mohammed Musa Ndoh, Boy Ayuba Ndoh, Richard Takawo, Habbakkuk Takawo, Prea Takawo, Zaure Lavi.

Others are Nassoho Solomon, Bugu Amana Takawo and Pwatamilla Amana Takawo, but Zaure Lavi was released to go home on the ground of health challenges.

It was alleged that some military moved in on the instruction of the Member Representing Karim constituency, Hon Charles Maijankai and reportedly arrested about 14 suspects in connection with the MIHU shrine tussle in Jen town. The suspects where later moved to Jalingo and remanded in prison awaiting court hearing on 7July, 2021, Police authorities said.

However, a lawyer who pleaded anonymity, decried the manner in which the suspects were selectively arrested by Military and Police and hurriedly hoarded them into prison till July 7 for hearing at a court of law in Jalingo, saying that he could not understand why the Police had to move the suspects quickly to Jalingo, the State capital instead of Karim, the local government headquarters.

'' These people were arrested in their villages and on their farms on Thursday at about 1pm,but then rush them to Jalingo and quickly have them remanded in prison. And set 7July for their court appearance. Certainly, there is a political interest in this case.

"One of the clan are custodian of the shrine and masquerade (Tanta) , while the other (Yinamuo) are the In charge of the MOU, (traditional staff), those in charge of the shrine and masquerade wanted to take the Mou from the other, but they refused, at the shrine, the masquerade being unable to resolve the issue between both clans, then declared the Yinamuo Clan of Jakka clan as outcast. And instructed all the community members not to sell or do anything to the said clan.

"However few days later crisis broke out between some persons from the Tanta people of Jakka clan and Yinamuo Clan, two people were severely injured in the crisis. The next day a member of the State Assembly Charles Maijankai sponsored the military in Karim Lamido to go and arrest all in the Yinamuo clan. Those arrested were in the military custody that night, and were being beaten all night, before the next morning they handed them over to the police in Karim Lamido. The state lawmaker also sponsored their transportation of those arrested to state command in Jalingo.

"Those that did the fight, none of them were arrested. The military with the help of the hunters group arrested the elders and the kids, primary school children, presently, the hunters group are accused of stealing the property of the Yinamuo clan because they were declared an outcast and the Member of the Stat Assembly is taking sides."

An elder in the community, Rev Adams B. Wisely, accused Hon. Mijankai of instigating the crisis in the land through his undue interference in the internal mechanism of the Sacred shrine, adding that the lawmaker had tried at different fora to snatch MUO - spear and symbol of MIHU shrine which only people of Jakkai have divine power to touch it.

He also fingered Mijankai of being behind the arrest of the Jakkai people simply to set confusion in the kingdom so as to enable him to lay his hands on the Sacred MUO- spear of MIHU authority.

"He Hon Mijankai Charles is trying to take the MUO- the spear and symbol of the Jenjon strength which is kept in the clan of Jakka people. Hon Charles is from Saretunde clan. He is not of Jakkai clan that owns the shrine and the MUO- symbol of MIHU shrine. That is while he has to cause confusion in the land of the Jenjo kingdom in order to lay his hand on the MUO. But he will not succeed, he also boasted that he does not need the support of the Jakka people to win any election in the area" he declared.

Another community member who berated Hon. Mijankia for meddling into the internal affairs of the tradition of the shrine, described his action as ungodly and infuriating the departed spirits of their founding fathers.

When contacted by this newspaper, Hon Mijankia who refused to go into details of the crisis said he was only informed of the situation in Jen, as he didn't invite the police to intervene in the crisis. "Let them say anything they like, was I the one that called the police to intervene? The case is now in court,  lets allow the police to do their work."    





 

3 comments:

  1. The evil that a wicked person does, is what will surely kill him.

    ReplyDelete
  2. How can a so called member will take side in such, is no wickedness?

    ReplyDelete