Appeal Court Gives 14 Days To Commence Hearing On Chieftaincy Tussle Of Agwom Izere In Jos East

Yakubu Busari

An Appeal Court sitting in Jos the Plateau state capital last week has ruled in favor of an application brought by Mr. Umaru Yakubu, Musa Shaibu challenging the stool of Agwom Izere of Jos East Local Government Council of Plateau.

Counsel to the appearance ,Barr.Usama Kabir Adams said they have 4 prayers before the honourable court in their matter, he said the prayers seek to address the area of jurisdiction stroked out by  State High Court for the hearing of the chieftaincy tussle between the two families.

According to counsel to the applicant, “We have four prayers which include leave  to appeal as interested parties, leave to appeal out of time, enlargement of time to file an appeal,  enlargement of time to file notice and grounds of appeal out of time which the court graciously granted in our client favour.”

Barr. Adams told the court that the state high sitting in Bukuru Division strikeout and disqualified the two appeals and ruled that it doesn’t have the jurisdiction to entertain the suit filed by Mr. Umaru Yakubu ,Shaibu Adangs Vs Plateau state government, Jos Local Government Area, and Jos East Traditional council.

In a unanimous judgment read by Justice Adamu Jero , Justice Williams Daudu and Justice Amina have issued 14th days for them to appeal the decision of the state high court on jurisdiction to enable the appearance to exercise their fundamental right as citizens of the Izere extraction.

He said , “our unanimous decision to rule on the matter brought by the first and second respondents being represented as aggrieved parties which were in respect to the 2000 judgment and was appealed in 2016 based on the family leave as an interested party.

However, counsel to Plateau state Government and ministry of justice  S. G. Deme Senior counsel showed appreciation to the court for the judgment.

Barr. A.A Madaki counsel to Jos East Traditional council also thanked the court for its well-deserved judgment .

The Jarawa people who hailed from Plateau and Bauchi  States were greatly affected by the 1975 change in gazette as reflected in the current stool causing disharmony amongst the Royal families.

It would be recalled that a new Agwom Izere has been installed by the Plateau state government in spite of court cases.

The aggrieved family of late Ishaku Yakubu urged the court to pursue the suit through substantial justice for 11 years of delay owning to striking out of the matter in 2003 based on an error.