Three Adara Traditional Council Members Drag El-Rufai To Court For Scraping Their Chiefdom

Three leaders of Adara land, the majority ethnic group in Kajuru and Kachia Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Southern part of Kaduna State, on Friday appeared before High Court in Kaduna to challenge the 2018 scraping of Adara Chiefdom by Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

In a development that surprised the state and angered the Adara people, Governor El-Rufai ordered the scrapping of Adara Chiefdom, the second biggest traditional council outside Zazzau Emirate. The development happened less than a month after the traditional ruler of Adara nation, Agom Adara III Maiwada Galadima was abducted, taken hostage in the bush and later killed.

The Adara Development Association (ADA) kicked against the abolition of their chiefdom and alleged that the policy may have a link with the murder of their monarch.

However, three title holders of Adara chiefdom have now taken the bull by the horn and sued on behalf of the entire Adara people at home and abroad challenging what they consider strange to them and without historical antecedents.

Joined in the suit is the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Kaduna state and Kaduna State Ministry of Local Government And Chieftaincy Affairs.

The case with referenced number KAH/KAD/72/2021 was filed in January 2021 by Mr. J A  Achimugu (SAN) on behalf of the plaintive, Mr. Sani Mazawaje (Madakin Adara), Mr. Audi Dalhatu (Talban Agom Adara) and Mr Awemi Dio Maisamari (National President of Adara Development Association.)

The plaintive are seeking among other prayers, “the restoration of Adara Chiefdom and the Adara Traditional Council which was abrogated by Governor El-Rufai by an Executive Order gazetted on May 29, 2018 and later released in November 2018 shortly after the abduction, killing and burial of the Late Chief of Adara Chiefdom, His Royal Highness Agom Adara III Maiwada Rapheal Galdima.”

The plaintive also want the Court to declare as “null and void the creation of Kachia Chiefdom and Kajuru Emirate from Adara Chiefdom as both were strange, unwanted by the Adara people as it does not reflect their identity, tradition and Faith.”

Furthermore, the Plaintives refer to as “disturbing, insulting and unfair that 40 Adara communities that are 98% non-Muslims would be forced under a hurriedly created Kajuru Emirate of which Hausa/Fulani Muslims occupy one village”.

The averred that the law that established the Adara Chiefdom does not give Governor El-Rufai the leverage to use his executive powers and abrogate the Chiefdom without going through the legislative process.

The case which came up for hearing on Friday at the Kaduna State High Court 13, presided over by Justice Bilkisu Mohammed was adjourned to September 29, 2021 as Counsel to the defendants, S.B Mohammed, filed an objection challenging the jurisdiction of the Court to entertain the case.

Speaking to journalists after the adjournment of the case, Lawyer to the plaintiff, Achimugu SAN, said; “The matter was delayed to today for mention so that a date can be given to us for hearing. But the Defendants came up with a motion for preliminary objection they filed earlier in January.  The preliminary objection is that the Court has no jurisdiction to hear this matter.

“We are not opposed to them being heard. Because of that the matter had been adjourned, we are also asking that we be allowed to respond to their preliminary objection. So, the preliminary objection is set for hearing on both sides.

“That was why the case was adjourned to the 29^th of September so that both sides can be heard and then the court would now decide whether it has jurisdiction or not,” he said.