The Taraba state governor, Darius Dickson Ishaku has been accused of signing an illegally altered gazette to remove ruling houses and replace same with the house of his friend, Fidelis Kaigama.

The altered official gazette, published in 2022 saw the removal of four ruling houses, including the house of the current monarch of Jukun-Jibu Kona chiefdom.

In the 2018 official gazette, the ruling houses of the Kuru Jukun-Jibu Kona chiefdom were listed as Panni/Noku Ayimu, Agauwan, Yim and Namen Numtai.

However, the altered official gazette has curiously replaced the four ruling houses with strange Bajibro and Badami ruling houses.

Sahara Reporters exclusively learnt that Kaigama who belongs to the Bajibro family, took advantage of his friendship with the governor, to have his way. He was also alleged to have taken advantage of the simplicity of the current king and allegedly hoodwinked him into endorsing a letter requesting Governor Darius to sign the altered gazette.

As it stands and if the altered gazette is allowed, the current monarch of Jukun-Jibu Kona chiefdom, Augustine Njenmang Vengkani II, will be the last from the Namen Numtai ruling house.

The gazette was said to have been secretly altered without consulting members of the four ruling houses.

Having realized he was tricked into endorsing a letter to the governor, requesting for the alteration of ruling houses from four to two, Vengkani II, wrote a withdrawal letter to that effect to the governor.

The letter entitled “Withdrawal of my earlier request for the alteration of the ruling house of Jukun-Jibu Kona chiefdom,” seen by SaharaReporters, reads in part: “While I and members of my council still stand on all the observations raised in that letter, I however wish to strongly withdraw the last paragraph which specifically requested for the alteration of the ruling houses from 4 to 2.

“Moreso, the ruling houses contained the 2018 gazette are derived from the ancient defunct Kona chiefdom that was cancelled by the Filani cum European colonial administrators both in 1892 and 1936 respectively and they are the authentic and valid ruling houses of Kona chiefdom since time immemorial and therefore cannot be arbitrarily altered to accommodate other clans that have no connection to the throne of the chiefdom.

“Therefore, I wish to confess that I was not properly guided or well informed of the implication of the proposed alteration of the ruling house by the few people.”

When contacted by Sahara Reporters, Bala Dan Abu, spokesperson for Governor Darius, declined comments, saying, “the matter is in court, commenting on it is subjudice.”

In the same vein and up until the time of filing this report, Kaigama could not be reached to clarify the role he played in the saga as calls made to his Personal Assistant, Mustapha Abraham Kaigama, were not answered. Text messages sent to him were also not replied to.

Illegal alteration of an official gazette which amounts to forgery attracts a penalty of 10 years imprisonment.