Alago Union Rejects Proposed Tiv Chiefdom in Imoon, Challenges Governor Sule’s Plan
Rabiu Omaku
The Alago Ikweyi Gbayi Development Union (AIGDU) has rejected the proposed establishment of a Tiv Chiefdom in Imoon, Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, describing the plan as an encroachment on Alago ancestral land.
The Union’s objection follows reports that Governor Abdullahi A. Sule told a delegation of the Tiv Development Association (TIDA) in September 2026 that he planned to establish a Tiv Chiefdom in Imoon and install a Tor Tiv of Nasarawa State with a graded staff of office.
In a position paper dated October 14, 2026, signed by its President, Hon. Mohammed Oshafu, and posted by Danjuma Agbo, the Union cited the Governor as saying:
“…even if we just go to Imoon, establish it there, and declare him the Tor Tiv of Nasarawa State in Imoon and give him a staff of office, that would be enough.”
‘Imoon Is Alago Land’ – Union Insists
AIGDU maintained that Imoon is a Tiv settlement established about 60 years ago on the outskirts of Adudu and Kanje towns in Obi LGA, with its population reportedly increasing following the 2001 Tiv-Azara crisis.
The Union argued that Imoon remains part of Alago ancestral territory, noting that the Alago people have occupied their present locations since around 1232 AD, while Agwatashi Chiefdom was founded approximately 794 years ago.
It further stated that Imoon is neither a recognised Village Area nor a District and therefore, in its view, does not qualify for elevation to a Chiefdom: “settlement does not automatically confer traditional sovereignty”
The Union argued that peaceful settlement and residence within a host community do not automatically grant settlers traditional sovereignty or the right to establish a separate traditional institution.
“Settlement does not automatically confer traditional sovereignty. The status of settlers and the rights of host communities must be carefully distinguished,” the position paper stated.
AIGDU urged Governor Sule to reconsider the proposal and respect what it described as the historical and customary rights of the Alago people.
It called for tripartite consultations involving the state Government, the applicants and the host communities, represented through their paramount traditional rulers—the Osana of Keana, the Andoma of Doma and the Emir of Lafia.
The Union stressed that its opposition was not directed at peaceful coexistence with the Tiv community but at protecting Alago heritage, traditional institutions and what it considers the rights of host communities.
