Adamawa: Maya community alleges incursion by Bille Youth in Tagombali District

From Umar Dankano, Yola.

The Maya Community in Demsa Local Government Area of Adamawa state has condemned alleged harassment and intimidation of its people by Bille youth over disputed villages said to have been removed and gazetted out of their areas.

Chairman of the Maya Youth Progressive Association (MAYOPA), Mr. Gagdiwana Joel made the condemnation at a press conference in Yola yesterday alleging that the recent violent incursion of some Maya communities by the Bille youths called for immediate attention of the constituted authorities.

Joel noted that the newly created Tagombali District in Demsa local council caused the recent disorder in Maya communities of Kwaba, Guri/ Wurobokki, Kwaba Waka, Tashan Gurgu and Dingle Kasa as well as some Communities in Dong District.

Joel also decried that the action of the Bille youth if not nipped in the bud can escalate to a “declaration of war” which may underscore the peace fostered by the leadership of Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri on the lingering boundary dispute between the communities.

He stated that the Press conference was deliberate and largely to see what action the Authorities would have taken in bringing the perpetrators of this heinous act to book lamenting that the security apparatus are either complicit or have underrated the security implications of the reckless youth actions after this long.

“We wish to inform our security Agencies that, by neglecting to make arrests and bring to book for threatening our peaceful coexistence, it has tacitly informed us that, it can no longer guarantee our security if known individuals were allowed to organise themselves, heavily armed from head to toe, invade our communities, harass and intimidate residents, perform rituals, and established boundaries, a function which only Government organs are lawfully mandated to perform.

“A careful review and understanding of the August 4th, 2025 criminal invasion of the sleeping Communities of Dingle Kasa, Kwaba, Kwaba Waka and Tashan Gurgu by some organized Bille youths to enforce Government gazette was a declaration of war.

“As the symbolic display of highly sophisticated weapons, a live hen, fresh leaves for rituals to mount signposts in all the Communities was a total war and nothing else. For the avoidance of doubt, Bille Community knows we have clearly defined natural boundaries from time immemorial no matter how.

“Both our forefathers had lived peacefully with each other without Government orders. We appreciate the fact that Bille people claims that the Maya Villages affected were given to them through gazette creating Districts in 1992.

“However, the memorandum submitted to the governor seeking the creation of Maya District dated 2nd December,1991 listing all the 35 villages including the disputed villages, but the affected villages were dubiously removed from the submitted list by the then Hon. Stephen Abbas member representing Demsa who is a Bille man as his contribution to Bille territorial expansion and transferred the villages to Bille District in 1992. That informed the basis of their claim”, Joel explained.

According to him, Maya community realizing that there were issues in the 1992 gazette, wrote to the State House of Assembly intimating them on the mistakes and sought for corrections and amendments to the law.

He  noted that they have followed legal procedures on the matter and will not concede an inch of their land to desperate expansionists, “looking for more villages to expand their geopolitical landscape and political indices”.

The Association therefore demanded for  a thorough investigation into the incident with a view to uncovering its underlying causes calling for the immediate arrest of the President of the Bille Youths Federation, Mr. Wilfred Jonathan, and his co- conspirators for their provoked act of intimidation, harassment, and threats to public peace and order.

“We urge the authorities concerned to expedite action on the pending Bill creating Districts, in order to address existing discrepancies and clearly determine the rightful administrative alignment of all affected villages”, Joel solicited.