Former Plateau State governor, Joshua Dariye, has called for calm following the removal of Dr Julius Dabilang as the Senior District Head of Mushere in Bokkos Local Government Area.
Dariye made the appeal after an expanded Mushere Chiefdom stakeholders’ meeting held on Saturday in Jos.
The Plateau State Government had earlier appointed Dabilang as Senior District Head of Mushere. However, the appointment was contested after some individuals petitioned the authorities, citing his conviction by a Nasarawa High Court in 2023.
The development sparked protests by women in the community, who marched naked through the streets in demonstration.
According to reports, the petitioners relied on the court judgment to press for Dabilang’s removal, leading to his eventual deposition.
Dariye stated that the removal followed due process and urged residents of Mushere to remain peaceful and law-abiding.
He explained that the stakeholders’ meeting involved district heads and title holders across the Mushere Chiefdom, adding that the situation had created deep divisions within the community.
“At the time of selection, many selectors were unaware that Dabilang had been convicted of a criminal case.
“They did not know. But the law is the law; he who comes to equity must come with clean hands.
“We must move forward and unite. We cannot remain divided while our women protest naked.
“We have faced killings before, yet our women never protested naked. Nudity is alien to Mushere; it is strange to our land,” he said.
Dariye, a former senator representing Plateau Central, commended the government for acting on the matter but criticised what he described as poor communication.
He advised that authorities should have barred Dabilang from the community, warning that his continued presence was escalating tensions.
He also called for the swift appointment of an acting district head pending the selection of a substantive replacement.
In his remarks, Gideon Kuttu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the government acted within the law.
Kuttu noted that the petitioners were justified, having presented evidence of Dabilang’s conviction.
He added that the deposed district head violated the law by concealing his conviction while seeking the position.
“Once convicted, you should not contest such positions; the truth will eventually emerge.
“Those who petitioned the Attorney General acted within the law, armed with evidence of his conviction,” he said.
He further urged Dabilang to refrain from actions that could inflame tensions and advised residents to assess the facts objectively.
Also speaking, the President of the Mushere Youth Movement, Kopmut Shadrach, assured that efforts were underway to calm aggrieved youths.
“Our women acted in ignorance; now we know the truth and will sensitise our people.
“Our youths planned protests, but with the facts clear, we will not allow it to happen,” he said.
