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Gombe Chieftaincy Crisis: Tangale Community Reaffirms Support for Mai Tangle, Vows to Defend Cultural Rights
By Idibia Gabriel, Kaduna
The Tangale Community Overseas (TCO) has reaffirmed its support for Dr. Musa Idris Maiyamba as the rightful Mai Tangle of Gombe State, vowing to defend the community’s cultural rights amid the ongoing chieftaincy dispute in the state.
The group made its position known in a statement issued on Sunday night in Kaduna, following a recent Court of Appeal ruling in Maiduguri that upheld the position of Governor Inuwa Yahaya on the contested traditional stool. The Tangale chieftaincy crisis has remained unresolved for several years, generating legal, cultural, and political tensions.
Speaking on behalf of TCO, its Public Relations Officer, Dr. Eli Ibrahim Kerek, said the Tangale people remain united, law-abiding, and resolute in protecting their heritage and constitutional rights.
“The Tangale people remain united, law-abiding, and resolute in defending their cultural heritage, dignity, and constitutional rights. Our culture and traditions, including the right to determine our own leadership, cannot and will not be overridden,” Kerek said.
The organization described the Court of Appeal ruling as an attempt to override established Tangale customs and traditions, arguing that it undermines the collective will of the people. According to TCO, Dr. Maiyamba was duly selected in 2021 by recognized Tangale kingmakers in line with long-standing succession practices.
TCO noted that Dr. Maiyamba, a medical doctor, enjoys broad acceptance among Tangale sons and daughters both within Nigeria and in the diaspora. The group maintained that the dispute arose from the governor’s refusal to recognize the kingmakers’ choice, instead backing what it described as an external candidate.
The statement argued that such action violates Tangale customary law and provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, particularly sections relating to equality, freedom of religion, and the right of communities to manage traditional leadership affairs.
Beyond the immediate chieftaincy issue, TCO alleged a broader pattern of political interference and bias against Tangale leaders and institutions. It cited previous controversies, including the non-appointment of Justice Beatrice Iliya as Chief Justice of Gombe State, which the group attributed to ethnic and religious considerations.
Tracing the community’s history, TCO recalled periods when the Tangale people existed without a traditional ruler, notably between 1680 and 1700, and again from 1996 to 2001. It said the current vacancy of the Mai Tangle stool, which has lasted about four years, is not unprecedented.
“The Tangale identity is rooted in culture, unity, and shared heritage, not government recognition,” the statement noted.
The group also raised concerns over alleged harassment of Tangale Christians during the chieftaincy dispute, including reported cases of wrongful arrests and stigmatization by local authorities. Despite these claims, TCO said the community has remained peaceful and committed to lawful processes.
In a move to strengthen internal cohesion, TCO disclosed that it recently conducted an election of the Tangale Community Development Association (TCDA), which produced Comrade Danladi Bako as National President. The group described the exercise as a reflection of the collective will of the Tangale people worldwide.
TCO also announced the suspension of this year’s Pissi Tangale Festival, describing it as a symbolic protest underscoring the seriousness of the leadership dispute.
While urging Tangale sons and daughters to remain steadfast, the group emphasized that it would continue to pursue legal avenues to secure recognition for Dr. Maiyamba. It warned that political pressure would not weaken the community’s resolve.
“The Tangale people are one, indivisible, and unshakable. Whether Christian, Muslim, or adherents of traditional religion, we stand together in unity, protecting our heritage and asserting our right to self-determination,” Kerek said.

December 16, 2025
Arrests Made After Gombe Policemen Shoot Man in Port Harcourt Bar
In a tragic turn of events, two serving policemen from Gombe State have been taken into custody in Rivers State after being accused of fatally shooting a father of four, Mr. Peterside, within a bar located in Port Harcourt. The incident unfolded during a tumultuous encounter at the lounge, shedding light on a distressing situation that has gripped the community.
Sources indicate that the policemen responsible for the shooting were part of a specialized team dispatched to the state for a significant operation. The tragedy struck at a lounge situated within the Elelenwo Community of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. Mr. Peterside had been present at the establishment alongside his wife and three children when a dispute escalated into a chaotic scene.
Witnesses recount that amidst the chaos, the policemen present at the lounge resorted to firing their weapons, inadvertently causing a fatal gunshot to strike Mr. Peterside. The heartbreaking incident has sent shockwaves through the community, leaving a family shattered and a community in mourning.
Confirming the incident, Grace Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police and the Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, revealed that the matter was reported by the widow of the deceased, Ebikere Peterside. She stated, “On Monday, August 7, 2023, Rivers State Police Command received a complaint from one Peterside Ebikere…that on Thursday, August 3, 2023, at about 2200 hrs, while at a Bar/Lounge in company of her husband and three children, all of a sudden, pandemonium broke out, and in the midst of the confusion, mobile policemen from 43 PMF Gombe on special duty in Rivers State on guard fired several shots that hit her husband.”
The tragic outcome resulted in the victim being rushed to Save-a-Life Hospital, where he was subsequently pronounced dead by attending medical professionals. The slain man’s body has been entrusted to the Military Hospital Mortuary. In response to the incident, the policemen responsible have been taken into custody and are being held at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further inquiries.
As the investigation unfolds, the Rivers State Police Command has pledged to keep the public informed about the outcomes and developments surrounding this distressing incident. The community’s collective thoughts and concerns are with the bereaved family during this difficult time.
August 8, 2023
2023: Hoodlums Raze PDP Campaign Office in Gombe
The Campaign Office of Mohammed Barde, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2023 governorship election in Gombe State, has been set ablaze by suspected political thugs.
The office close to the Presidential Lodge of Gombe Government House was reportedly set ablaze in the early hours of Monday, December 12, 2022.
Details of the attack are sketchy as of the time of filing this report, but the PDP has blamed it on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Barde confirmed the attack in a statement issued on his behalf by Junaidu Usman Abubakar, Deputy Director-General of Media, Atiku/Dan Barde Campaign Management Council.
“There was an attack on the building housing the Barde Campaign Organisation in the early hours of today by political thugs, suspected to be that of the sinking APC, setting ablaze the building and destroying properties,” he said.
“The cowardly attack on this edifice, one of many in the last months further affirmed the present governments stand on violence and destruction, a threat to the fragile peace of the state, which must vehemently be rejected by all and sundry.
“The PDP Governorship candidate, Alh Muhammad Jibrin Barde has on different occasions rejected violence and political thuggery, stressing the need to engage the resourceful Gombe youth in a meaningful pursuit.
“The Good people of Gombe State are hereby prompted to reject this act of oppression on the ballot comes 2023. The Barde Agenda rests on securing the lives and properties of the people, equal opportunities for the youth and women, rapid infrastructural development and providing a level playing ground for the opposition devoid of any undue oppression,” he said.
Reacting, Director General, Press Affairs to Governor Inuwa Yahaya, Ismaila Uba Misilli, said the PDP was just looking for cheap publicity.
Misilli said the opposition was in no way a threat to APC, wondering how the governor could have given such order as alleged by Barde.
“There’s no any reason that the governor or any critical stakeholder in APC would instruct someone to attack the PDP campaign office. PDP is not in any way a threat to the APC because the party has consolidated its hold in the state.”
“The governor is a law-abiding citizen, and he can not instruct or allow someone to break law and order in the state. The PDP is just looking for a way to get cheap publicity and sympathy by torching its campaign office and blaming it on the government. APC has no reason to do that when we are 100% sure of a landslide victory in the forthcoming election.”
Police Public Relations Officer in Gombe, ASP Mahid Mu’azu Abubakar, said investigation had been launched and moves were being made to arrest the perpetrators.
December 12, 2022
Dr. Jamil Gwamna Widely Supported Across Gombe State
By Jabiru Hassan, Kano.
A front line PDP Gubernatorial aspirant in Gombe state Dr Jamil Isyaku Gwamna (Sardaunan Gombe) is widely supported at both rural and urban settlements in the state.
Our correspondent who was in the state last weekend gathered that Dr. Gwamna is a very strong aspirant under the platform of the people’s democratic Party, (PDP) who is also receiving more recognition from the all categories of the people which is a landmark achievement.
Many residents that had a chat with Daybreak News said that ” Dr. Jamil Isyaku Gwamna, the Sardauna of Gombe is a good citizen who always think before he acts, and by what is going politically, the Sardauna of Gombe would sweep the polls with wider margin as seen from all look and cranny of the state”.
Malam Ibrahim Sani Shawai, the head of Dr. Gwamna Campaign Media team disclosed that his principal is one of the truly respected citizen who is making efforts to ensure that Gombe state becomes an exemplary domain if elected as governor of the state in 2023.
” I wish to inform you that Sardaunan Gombe is a good leader and he is ready to change the face of Gombe state in a democratic dispensation because he has a ready made blueprint on how his government would bring rapid development in every sector without bias, therefore we thank the entire people of Gombe state for the supports and love they accorded our aspirant ” He concluded.
May 14, 2022
Gombe State Governments seek refund over repaired federal roads
Gombe State Government has pleaded with the Federal Government to reimburse it with about N60billion spent on redeveloping and maintaining the federal highways in the state.
The commissioner for works and transportation, Abubakar Bappah, on Thursday told newsmen that the Federal Government flouted many agreements of financial reimbursement reached before the projects began.
“Federal government is owing us some money, since the coming of this administration, we have not received a kobo as reimbursement for the projects executed,” Bappah said.
The federal government has failed in maintaining the roads in our metropolis,” adding that it was for the reason that the state sought and secured the approval of the federal government to develop them, “since they can’t come, we often seek their consent before embarking on them and then later seek for reimbursement as we progress.
“Under this arrangement, Gombe state government has done a lot of roads particularly in the township.”
“We have developed some portion of Gombe-Bauchi federal highway, at N7.5billion, the federal government is yet to pay us.
“We have also developed some portion of Gombe-Yola federal highway for about N4billion, reimbursement has not been fully effected and we have also undertaken the development of Kanawa-Deba-Jagali road under the agreement of reimbursement by the federal government.
“We have been appealing to the federal government for the reimbursement.”
He, however, regretted that “though we understand the financial constraints the federal government is facing, it is the same thing with us but then we are seriously appealing to them.
“So the federal government is saying all the time that it will reimburse us and we are waiting,” he hoped.
On Gombe Line, the commissioner stated that the state had been able to defray N127million of the bank loan it took to procure 50 buses to boost the state’s transportation.
He recalled, “you are aware that when this administration came on board, Gombe Line was almost completely collapsed and, to revive it, Gombe state had to buy new buses.
We bought 50 news buses and rehabilitated the old ones and the transport sector came to life once more.
“Government has paid up N127million to banks in respect of the 50 buses we purchased to boost Gombe Line,” he said, adding that the repayments were generated by the buses.
He reemphasised the Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s poise to construct 100-kilometre of road in each of the 11 local government, noting, “Eleven 100-kilometer roads is governor’s desire to ensure that by the end of his administration, he would have been able to do a minimum of 100 kilometres of roads in each 11 local government and we are pursuing it vigorously.
“So far, almost all the local governments have road constructions ongoing, some of them were awarded by the last administration but abandoned for lack of payment.
“You may wish to recall that before the last administration left, it awarded over 15 roads for construction. Unfortunately, the contractors were not paid, they were not mobilised.
“But when we came on board, as part of our desire to embark on the completion of those roads, we are working on all of them for us to ensure we deliver our promise of delivering 100-kilometer of road in each local government.”
He allayed the insinuation that the state was owing foreign contractors working in the state, disclosing that, “payments are on course to all our contractors. Whenever they submit valuations, we subject these valuations to settlement; we subject these valuations to scrutiny, we agree on what exactly they have executed in line with the due process office and send the proposal to ministry of finance and they have been up-to-date.”
The state is, however, considering sola traffic light to illuminate its metropolis.
“As a permanent solution to the problem of street lights, we are looking at the possibility of using solar street lights and to this effect, we have started shopping for a contractor that will provide solar street lights on most of our streets,” Bappah said.
January 15, 2021
Man who trekked for 15 days for Buhari begs for help to cure Limb pains
Dahiru Buba, who trekked from Gombe to Abuja for 15 days to celebrate Muhammadu Buhari’s win in the 2015 polls, has urged for medical assistance.
He has serious limb pains and is seeking assistance for treatment.
The native of Dukku Local Government Area of Gombe State said the trekking when Governor Mai Mala Buni was the party’s National Secretary fetched him nothing but a certificate.
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He appealed to Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State and the party’s stakeholders to come to his aid.
Buba said: “Since the time I conducted the trekking, the limb pain is growing by the day.
“I am appealing to my governor, Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State and the party leadership to help me look for medical assistance.”
Buba pointed out how life is becoming unbearable for him as the join pain persists, saying that he cannot even pay his children’s school fees.
November 6, 2020
NNPC Commences Oil Explorations As Relative Peace Returns To Chad Basin Just As Oil Has Been Found In Gombe State
By Dauda R Pam Maiduguri

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) commences petroleum products exploration in the Lake Chad Basin following the relative peace that is gradually returning to Borno state.
Equally, the NNPC he said,has found oil in GOMBE state in the Northeast region.
The commencement, according to the petroleum minister of state, Chief Timiprye Silver, was facilitated by the Nigerian Army.
The of State for Petroleum disclosed this, Thursday, after meeting with Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai and Commander of Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Maj-Gen. Ibrahim Yusuf held at Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri.
He said the NNPC has seen a lot of prospects in Chad Basin warranting the commencement of exploration and drilling activities, stressing that, they are collaborating with Army to ensure that adequate security is provided.
He used the occasion to commend the Army for restoring peace in the basin, as he said, “The Army has done a great job in the Northeast noting that without the troops’, exploration activities will not be possible including the just concluded meeting last Thursday.
“We have concluded arrangements to commence exploration and drilling
activities, as there is relative peace now, more so, that we have also found oil in Gombe state and we believe that there is a lot of oil in the Chad region”, he disclosed.
November 6, 2020
Gombe State Governor appoints an Igbo man as Special Adviser
Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has sworn-in an Igbo man, Prince Chidebelu Cornelius Ewuzie as the Special Adviser, Inter-Community Relations.
Speaking during swearing-in ceremony at the Government House, Gombe, on Wednesday, October 14, the Governor described Inter-Community Relations as one area that need to be pursued with all vigour in order to ensure even development in the country.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya also swore in Group Captain Peter Bitrus Bilal ( Rtd) as Special Adviser on Development Control and Enforcement.
He congratulated the appointees for distinguishing themselves and charged them to bring to bear their wealth of experience and expertise, saying their coming into the his administration will impact positively on the execution of Government policies and programmes.
He said the development control and compliance unit was established as part of his administration’s determination to transform Gombe State into a model.
The Governor described Inter Community Relations as one area that need to be pursued with all vigour, noting that the Special Adviser on Inter Community Relations, who is well known to many would use his office to unite not only the Igbo speaking community, but other ethnic nationalities resident in the state.
In his response, Prince Ewuzie, popularly known as Chimack, thanked the Governor for finding them worthy to serve the state, assuring him of their loyalty and support in efforts to take the state to an enviable heights.
October 14, 2020
BREAKING: Fire guts CBN office in Gombe state
There was a fire outbreak at the Gombe branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria on Friday.
Detail later
July 3, 2020
Gombe to conduct competency test for teachers to enhance quality education
The Gombe State Government says it will conduct competency test for teachers in the state to enhance their capacity and the quality of education.
The state Commissioner for Education, Dr Habu Dahiru, disclosed this during an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Friday.
Dahiru said the test was aimed at addressing teachers’ performance challenges with a view to enhancing the quality of education, stressing “teachers are key to getting the education quality in the state.’’
He said that already teachers audit was on-going in the state to ascertain the numbers of teachers and the number with the professional qualifications.
According to him, after the audit, there will be competence test to ensure that those that enter classrooms are qualified enough for the job without any compromise.
He said that the administration of Gov. Inuwa Yahaya was committed to addressing the challenges in the sector, adding “ we have an issue in the education sector and we have to address that issue in specifics.’’
He said: “We are now conducting teachers audit to know how many teachers are in our schools, how many have the qualifications and do not and after that we will do the competency test.
“The test is a guide to tell us where we are, and, how we are going to further strengthen the quality of teaching and education in the state.
“If you do not have the qualification, you will go and get it or we will transfer such persons to be administrative officers because our classrooms are for professionals only.
“ When we find those teachers that are not very competent or even those that are competent but need to be updated on current teaching methodologies and practices, then we will know how to go about it.”
He said that the test would enable the government grade teachers and know how to assist them in capacity enhancement.
“We cannot give all the teachers same training, hence competency test to help them measure up with the standard.
“Education being a priority the present administration would focus more on its quality to give the needed results in external examinations and students’ performance.
“As you know, we have declared emergency in the education sector and that means that we are not just concerned with quantity but also quality.
“This is why we established the Teachers Training Institute in Kwami,” he said.
He noted that the Federal Government from the National Council of Education had promulgated that no teacher without teaching qualification and yet to register with the teachers’ registration council should be in any school.
“We have sent the messages to all teachers who may not have the required qualifications to go to schools offering education courses in the state to obtain the requirements.
“And, I am happy majority have complied,’’ he said.
While stressing that the competency test was not to dismiss any teacher from his or her job, Dahiru called on themto continue to put in their best to help right the wrongs in the sector.
He also hinted that the 500-capacity Teachers Training Institute in Kwami which according to him is about 95 per cent completion would be inaugurated within a month or two. (NAN)
January 31, 2020