The sitting Judge of Gombe High Court Government Reserved Area, Daurabo Sikkam, has allowed the application of the Defence Counsel in a case involving six sisters against Kamai District Head, Zubairu Ahmadu and three others.
The six sisters are Aliona Toddo, Rony Toddo, Asabar Toddo, Saratu Toddo, Hassana Toddo, and Hussaina Toddo.
Our reporter tells that the complaint which was brought by an international non-governmental group Global Pan Africanism Network against Ahmadu, for allegedly denying Toddo’s daughters their inherited lands from their late father.
The traditional chief was accused of colluding with Julius Lamido, Jude Maigari, and Dolton Toddo, to deny the women the farmland on the grounds of their gender.
Speaking, Counsel to the North-East regional office of GPAN, Barrister Ibrahim Ambore-Nuhu, who appeared for the plaintiffs during the court’s first sitting for mentioning the case on Thursday, told journalists in an interview that their suit seeks the order of the court confirming that the plaintiffs are the owners of farmland located at Ladongor, Lakwantangalan and Lakaikai and house erected on the land at Kalmai, Billiri, Gombe State.
They further urged the court to set aside the sale of any part of the plaintiffs’ inherited acreage in Ladongor, Kalmai Billiri Gombe state, which was sold by the fourth defendant to the first, second and third defendants without the agreement of the plaintiffs.
“By the validity test of customary law and section 42 of the 1999 constitution, the plaintiffs are entitled to inherit their late father’s (Amin Toddo) holdings.
“We need an order of this honourable court that the farmland located and situated at Ladongor, Lakwantangalan, Lakaikai and the house erected on the land and any other properties left by their late father Amin Toddo at Kalmai, Billiri, Gombe State to be distributed from their mother side (Kebba) to the heirs of late Amin Toddo i.e. the plaintiffs and the 4th defendant.
“An order of this honourable court prohibiting the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants, their employees, or privies from further interfering or trespassing on the farmland situated at Ladongor, Kalmai Billiri Gombe State,” he stated.
Furthermore, counsel to the defendants, Barrister Ishaku David, informed the court that his clients needed some time to react to the summon notice filed on them and sought time to answer.
The court delayed sitting to April 27, 2023,
