Hausa Leader Drags 2 Others To Court In Anambra Over Sarkin Hausawa Chieftaincy Stool Imbroglio

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By Chuks Eke

Alhaji Mahmud Sani, leader of Hausa community of Amawbia in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra state, a neighboring community to Awka capital territory, has dragged two other Hausa leaders to court seeking a declaration that the defendants have no business to meddle into his activities as the Sarkin Hausawa of Amawbia.

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The two defendants are the Sarkin Hausawa of Awka community, Alhaji Garba Haruna and Alhaji Haruna Adamu who is laying claim to the same Sarkin Hausawa Amawbia stool.

In an originating summons brought before Anambra State High Court No. 1 sitting at Awka and presided over by Justice Emmanuel Ike Ogu, the plaintiff, Mahmud Sani alleged that the first defendant, Garba Haruna had conspired with the second defendant, Haruna Adamu to strip him of his rightful position as the Sarkin Hausawa Amawbia.

He contended that it was the Hausawa community of Amawbia that nominated him and took him to the then Okpalaigwe of Amawbia, late Igwe Okoye who issued him the certificate of recognition on September 19, 2015 as the Sarkin Hausawa of Amawbia.

In the Suit No. A/34/2022

Mahmud Sani Vs Alhaji Garba Haruna & Anor, brought pursuant to Order 3, Rule 6 (a) and (b) of the High Court Civil procedure Rules of Anambra state, 2018, the plaintiff, through his legal counsel, Michael U. Okoye Esq., is asking the court to declare that the first defendant, Alhaji Garba Haruna does not have any business whatsoever to meddle into his activities, given the fact that Hausawa Awka community and Hausawa Amawbia community are two distinct administrative communities.

The plaintiff, is also asking the court to declare that he, Sani and not the second defendant, Haruna Adamu, is the authentic Sarkin Hausawa of Amawbia community, as according to him, he was duly appointed and recognized by his people, consequent upon the fact that it was the traditional ruler of Amawbia (the host community) that awarded him a certificate of recognition.

He therefore asked the court to declare an order of perpetual injunction restraining the second defendant from henceforth parading himself as the Sarkin Hausawa of Amawbia community.

The plaintiff also asked the court to restrain the first and second defendants, their agents, servants, privies or assigns from meddling into his activities as the Sarkin Hausawa of Amawbia community, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

However, in his counter affidavit, the first defendant, Haruna averred that the plaintiff is not and was never and has never been the Sarkin Hausawa of Amawbia community, adding that himself as Hausawa of Awka, his area of authority covers Amawbia community and beyond.

Haruna contended that the late father of the plaintiff, Alhaji Sani Garba was in his life time, the Sarkin Chamba representing the Chamba people in the Sarkin Hausawa Awka where he is in charge of and as such, the plaintiff has no basic right to lay claim to Sarkin Hausawa Amawbia which is a non existent stool.

Also in his own counter affidavit, the second defendant, Haruna Adamu averred that upon the death of Alhaji Sani Garba, father of the plaintiff in 2014 and after the mourning period, members of Hausa speaking ethnic group that spanned across northern states in Nigeria resident in Amawbia community presented him to the first defendant, Garba as their choice, as the next leader of Hausawa community in Amawbia, for installation and turbaning.

Meantime, the presiding judge of the court, Justice Ike Ogu has adjourned the matter to May 3, this year for hearing in the case which had earlier been slated for hearing on December 8 but could not be heard on that day due to the fact that the court did not sit on the aforementioned date.