Mother’s Burial Impasse: Man Calls on Kaduna Gov, Bajju Chiefdom, Others To Intervene

. . . Alleges complicity of security agencies, top politicians

.Wants Mum buried Inline With Bajju Customs.

NEWSDALYNIGERIA: The Kaduna State government under  the leadership of Senator Uba sani , Bajju community and spirited Nigerians have been called upon to intervene in the lingering burial impasse that engulfed Allahmangani Family of Fadia Tudun Wada in Bajju Chiefdom, for over one year and eight months after the death of their mother. Late Mrs Allahmagani.

 

 The Media, CSOs and stakeholders among others have also been urged to pressure on the relevant authorities to ensure that the Bajju native Law and customs and existing judicial pronouncements are adhered to in the burial of their late mother.

The group however lamented the alleged complicity of some security personnel in the crisis, while calling on the authorities concerned to do the needful  to avert a breakdown of law an order in Bajju Chiefdom.

 Addressing a press briefing in Kaduna on Friday , the eldest son and next of Kin to the deceased,  Emmanuel Yamai Bakam, said

 ” It has become imperative for me to call the attention of the good people of Kaduna state and  particularly the Bajju community, to an attempt by siblings and the security agencies to violate the Bajju native law and customs an action that is capable of plunging Kaduna State into crisis, if not quickly addressed by the relevant authorities

” The Allahmagani Family of Fadia Tudun Wada in Bajju Chiefdom in Zangon Kataf local government Area of Kaduna state are saddened that for one (1) year and( 8) months after the death of their mother, sister – in-law and daughter- in- law, her burial rites have become controversial and disgraceful “

He said” the entire family is sad that the legacy built on Christian virtues has been plagued by a needless crisis due to the uncooperative attitude of my siblings who despite all plea, have refused to listen to the advice of the elders of the Bajju community over the issue and also obey judicial pronouncements

 ” The crisis began immediately after the death of of our mother in September 15th 2023 at the 44 Nigerian Reference Hospital, Kaduna, when my siblings denied the elders who are custodians of Bajju native law and customs, access to the corpse of our mother to perform her burial rites

 “Being her next of Kin and the  first Son of our Mother, I have also been denied access to her corpse even against the express directives of a court of competent jurisdiction to that effect after several litigations

 He further said ” my other siblings, who are against the burial rites, led by my elder sister, Hajia Maryam Doka, Maureen Kabrik and three others are vehemently frustrating all my efforts to ensure that we bury our dear mother in accordance with Bajju customs ” he said.

 According to him ” When our father died about four years earlier, these same siblings coerced and manipulated our mum by insisting that our father must be buried in the sitting room of the house he built in the village, which the community elders frowned at because he did not live up to one hundred years, making it a violation of the Bajju tradition.

 ” In order to allow peace to reign against all odds, I regrettably entreated and pleaded with the elders, and the community graciously acceded to my request which was unprecedented, but with a caveat that such a thing will never happen again.

 ” Is there a tribe, community and people who are not bound by culture and traditions? The constitution of Nigeria recognises that in Chapter IV. The United Nations Charter on indigenous people calls for the recognition and protection of the rights of indigenous people. The Fadia Tudun Wada community has been known to be peaceful and law-abiding.

 ” However, when our mother died too, she was not up to one hundred years of age, and Bajju tradition stipulated clearly that someone can only be buried inside his or her room after clocking one hundred years of age, or holding a traditional title. And with the Kaduna State Government trying to discourage burials in residential areas, this particular attempt to forcefully bury our late mother in the sitting room under the guise of the need to bury her beside our late father, who’s own burial was earlier done in error and under coercion, is untenable.

” As a peaceful and law-abiding family and community, we had approached the courts to adjudicate on the matter. The first court of competent jurisdiction ruled that the body of our mother be released to the family elders for burial. Not satisfied with the ruling, my siblings appealed and the Kaduna State Customary Court of Appeal upheld the judgment of the lower court. But instead of my siblings to obey the court orders that stipulated that the corpse of our mother be release to me, being the next of kin and the first son, for burial according to the Bajju native law and customs

” These same siblings, in order to seek further redress, filed another appeal at the Court of Appeal, Kaduna Division. W the possibility of losing the appeal, they have resorted to undercutting the judicial pronouncements with regards to the matter by whatsoever means, deploying state mechanism to subvert and disobey judicial pronouncements.

According to the court order, holding on to the corpse without others having access to it for the purpose of burial as customarily required, is unjustifiable.

” It’s imperative for the NSA, the Kaduna State Government, the security agencies and all Nigerians to know that if my sisters proceed with their plot, they’lI be facing the resistance of the entire community. In other words, they are deliberately provoking a crisis of monumental proportions by violating the culture and traditions of my people and disobeying the Court judgment on the matter.

” I therefore humbly appeal to the Kaduna State Government and other well-meaning Nigerians to wade into the matter to ensure obedience to the rule of law, engendering peaceful coexistence and the protection of the Fadia Tudun Wada customs and traditions against unwarranted invasion, harassment and intimidation. It is also to ensure that the law and customs of the Bajju people are strictly upheld as required by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” he stressed