Mararaban-Udege Intra-ethnic Crisis:Government to Appoint Administrator to Oversee the Area.

By Kure Tashilane.

Nasarawa State Government in an attempt to find lasting solutions to the persistent Intra-ethnic security challenges that had engulfed parts of Afo land in Nasarawa local government area of the state in recent times, has decided to appoint an administrator for the disputed Mararaba-Udege Administrative Unit in the interim.

Governor Abdullahi A. Sule disclosed his administration's decision to appoint an administrator in the interim to oversee the affairs of the fastest growing community in Afo land when he summoned their paramount ruler the Osu Ajiri and Osu Agwada as well as critical stakeholders of the entire Afo land to a meeting Monday February 3rd, 2025 aimed at fast tracking modalities for amicable resolution of the contentious issues which had  before now led to lost of lives and properties.

He said the administrator to be appointed will have four members two persons each selected from Ambu and Eki factions who will oversee Udege Administrative Unit and as well help fast track initiatives for amicable resolution of the intra-ethnic crisis.

" We are going to appoint an administrator for that area and the administrator will help us come up with the final solution. We have received several reports including security report on the issue and our decision would be based on the recommendations from these reports in totality ...

" As you all go back home, I want you to remember in your head, remember that the small village you knew as Mararaba is no longer a village. It has expanded - that was the reason why the entire Afo land was just one district under Udege but now, we have six. So it would not be surprising if we create another Chieftaincy Stool in Mararaba it self because it has grown to that level ...

" And if we will create that, we will work with the administrator we are appointing with the reports that we have received to make sure that everybody is represented " The Governor explained.

He enjoined Afo people to remain calm and as well have it at the back of their minds that Mararaba has grown in lips and bound and that it deserves a new status and that there are several options available for government to choose from amongst which is to create a new Chieftaincy stool that is democratized or create a Chieftaincy stool that would be rotational between the Ambu and Eki factions.

Engineer Sule enjoined Afo people to stop referring to Mararaba as a village due to the fact that it is presently the fastest growing community in the entire Afo land. He stressed that as result of the commercial mining activities taking place around the area today, Mararaba has the potential of becoming as large as one of the big towns across the state in the near future.

The Governor stressed that if that is the case why should they continue undermining the status of Mararaba as a small village. He stated further that nobody from both side of the divide should lay further claim to the ownership of Mararaba so as to pave the way for the appointment of an administrator along with two people each from both sides of the divide (Ambu and Eki).

Engineer Sule baffled with the emerging narratives of what could possibly be the remote cause of the entire problem today in Afo land asked some fundamental questions on who Mallam Ahmed Arika is to Afo people.

" The person you kept mentioning, who is he by the way, was he a village head, was he an administrator, was he a king, a rich man? ... On what ground will he go ahead and appoint a village head and then the Chiefs in the area are even looking for ways of arresting the man. There must be some lapses along the way because, if the man did not have the authority to appoint and the man appointed and you have taking a decision that what he appointed cannot be and yet he went ahead dishing out guidelines and authority and nothing happened " The Governor was utterly astonished.

However, no directives or suggestions were made for the immediate arrest of the said Mallam Ahmed Arika who single handedly arrogated himself arbitrarily the power to appoint and install a village head for contentious Mararaba town during the meeting from any side of the divide.

The Governor stressed that there must be a breakdown in leadership of the area  and that the truth of the matter is that Mararaba has grown and has become a big town which is expanding everyday.

Earlier, the Governor gave Hon. Samuel Egya the opportunity to be the first person to speak during the Afo stakeholders engagement and he began his presentation by going down history line as he narrates how Mararaba has been a village under Eyenu village area of Odu District (Ambu-meaning Afo from the plan area) siting copiously several government official gazettes and state assembly enactments that stated that Mararaba has been and is still under Eyenu village area of Odu District.

In his final summation, he advised that the status quo ante (the state of affairs that existed previously) be maintained and that government should not recognize the recently installed village head by Mallam Ahmed Arika until all the issues surrounding the crisis are resolve.

On his part, Hon. Danladi Madaki who was also given the opportunity by the Governor to narrate his own version of what he knows concerning the crisis in Afo land today with possible suggestions on how to tackle them which he did and in his final analysis urged that Mararaba be left alone for now and that nobody should lay claims to it's ownership.

During the Opening remarks of the stakeholders engagement, Professor Abdulkarim Kana (SAN), gave a brief overview of what is actually going on in Afo land and he expressed deep concern to what had led brothers of the same root to be killing each other.

Kana described the two existing factions in Afo land; the Ambu and Eki as imaginary divisions that had crept in largely due to politics and some other factors as no one can describe it as clannish, religious motivated or dialectical as they speak the same language and are mostly Muslim and Christians who have the same root.

He expressed hope that as they continue to engage with each other; those factions will eventually disappear and they will go back to become the single people they had always been. He equally appreciated the Governor Engr. Abdullahi Sule for providing them the opportunity to meet and jointly interact with each other in pursuit of peaceful resolution of all the issues in Afo land.

" There is no crime worst than murder, then arson (killing and the willful or malicious burning of properties). There is nothing worst than the killing between brothers, having the same blood. God said he created us differently so we could understand each other but for us, the same blood, same source "  Kana stated.

However, Commodore Yahaya Ogwola described the recent and emerging security challenges in Afo land as a shameful and all hands must be on deck to see that this problems are resolve especially now that the Governor is fully involved and committed to help them achieve lasting solutions tailored towards unifying Afo again.

" In 1472, the Afo people left Borno Empire. We went through Kwararafa 

that is more than six hundred years ago and came to our present abode in 1640 with one name. All we came with is one name - Kiaboo meaning unity of purpose. Whatever challenges we face, we had never faced internal challenges like we have done presently. It is a shame on us that we are now facing challenges within ourselves " Commodore Yahaya Ogwola stated.

He disclosed further that the recent and emerging internal security challenges Afo people are facing now has a retrogressive tendency that is defaming and eroding Afo integrity legacies as they have choosing to rather have their own fellow Afo brothers as enemies.

Commodore Yahaya Ogwola submitted that all the problems in Afo land today are being planted by the elites in other to advance their selfish interests by sowing seeds of discord among their own people.

He urge the entire Afo people to give the Governor the support he needs to help them achieve genuine reconciliation moving forward.