By Khalid Idris Doya The Bauchi State Muslim Parliament, known as the Majlisshura Unity Foundation, has accused the Bauchi State Governmen...
By Khalid Idris Doya
The Bauchi State Muslim Parliament, known as the Majlisshura Unity Foundation, has accused the Bauchi State Government and the State House of Assembly of acting in contempt of court following the creation of the Zaar Chiefdom and the decision to locate its headquarters in Mhrim, Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area.
In a statement signed by the Foundation’s Chairman, Sheikh Yusuf Abdullahi Jahun, and made available to journalists on Friday, the group argued that the government’s decision violated an ongoing court process challenging the creation and siting of the chiefdom’s headquarters.
The statement noted that the move disregarded earlier recommendations by several committees set up to address the long-standing communal tensions in Tafawa Balewa.
“On behalf of the entire Muslim community of Bauchi State, we find it necessary to draw the attention of the world to the bill passed by the Bauchi State House of Assembly and assented to by Governor Bala Mohammed, creating the Zaar Chiefdom and siting its headquarters in Mhrim in Tafawa Balewa, as well as designating the town as a Sayawa District,” the statement read.
The foundation recalled that in December 2024, the Bauchi State Government announced the creation of the Sayawa Chiefdom out of the Bauchi Emirate, with its headquarters in Tafawa Balewa. It stated that the decision was widely rejected by the Muslim community through various organisations, including the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), the Supreme Council for the Defence of the Shariah (SCDS), the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), and the Majlisshura Unity Foundation itself.
According to the foundation, opposition to the siting of the chiefdom’s headquarters in Tafawa Balewa was based on historical and security concerns, alleging that between 1991 and 2011, more than 500 Muslims were killed in the area, with 48 mosques destroyed. It added that Muslims from the community were displaced and now live in other locations as internally displaced persons (IDPs).
“We are not against the creation of the Sayawa Chiefdom. However, our major concern is the siting of its headquarters in Tafawa Balewa, which we consider a grave injustice against the Muslims of Bauchi State,” the foundation stated.
The group further argued that none of the five panels previously established to investigate the Tafawa Balewa crisis — including the Babalakin (1991), Shehu Awak (1993), Justice Bala Umar (2001), General Sabo (2011), and Ambassador Dada Chinade (2022) committees — recommended the siting of the Sayawa or Zaar Chiefdom headquarters in Tafawa Balewa.
It disclosed that the Muslim community of Tafawa Balewa had already filed a suit, No. BA/31/2025, against the Bauchi State Government, Governor Bala Mohammed, the House of Assembly, and other relevant agencies involved in the process.
The foundation maintained that since the matter is before a competent court, the government and other parties are legally barred from taking further action, describing their continued steps as “contempt of court.”
Sheikh Jahun cautioned that ignoring the concerns of the Muslim community could have far-reaching implications and urged the state government to review its decision.
Governor Bala Mohammed had earlier signed into law a bill establishing 13 new emirates and over 100 districts across the state, including the repeal of the Sayawa Chiefdom and the creation of the Zaar Chiefdom with its headquarters at Mhrim in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area.
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