By Fidelis Jockthan
A High Court sitting in Yola has dismissed a lawsuit filed to challenge the legality of the Fufore Emirate, a new chiefdom recently established by the administration of Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday ,Justice Musa Usman struck out the suit on the grounds that the plaintiffs failed to file a mandatory pre-action notice as prescribed by law.
The judge ruled that this omission was a fundamental procedural flaw that robbed the court of the jurisdiction to entertain the case.
Even if the court had proceeded to consider the merits of the case, Justice Usman stated that the plaintiffs failed to provide credible evidence to support their claims.
The plaintiffs—Alhaji Musa Halilu Ahmed (Dujuma Adamawa), Alhaji Mustapha Ahmadu (Sarki Noma Adamawa), and Alhaji Mustapha Dahiru Mustapha (Yerima Adamawa) had sued the Adamawa State Government, the Governor, the Attorney General, and Alhaji Mohammed Sani Ahmadu Ribadu as co-defendants.
In the suit numbered HC/ADSY/14/2025, filed via a writ of summons on January 30, 2025, the claimants argued that Governor Fintiri did not follow due process in creating the new emirate.
They sought a declaration that the people of Gurin, Ribadu, and Yola form the “core, nucleus and integral part of Adamawa Emirate,” sharing a common history, ancestry, and culture.
They further argued that their right to remain under the same traditional institution is guaranteed under Sections 40 and 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
However, in his ruling, Justice Usman noted that the witnesses called by the plaintiffs admitted in court that they lacked personal knowledge of the consultation process carried out by the state government before the emirate was created.
“Even on consideration of the substantive issues on merit, the Plaintiffs failed to discharge the burden placed on them and the case is liable to dismissal,” the judge asserted.
Speaking to Newsmen after the judgement, Counsel the Defendants,Chief LD.Nzadon commended the Court for the landmark judgement.
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