Sansani Chiefdom: Court Stops Installation Of New Chief, Grants Leave for Judicial Review

 

 

 

A Taraba State High Court sitting in Jalingo, under the leadership of Hon. Justice Nuhu S. Adi, has granted leave for a judicial review of the December 30, 2024, proceedings and decisions of the Taraba State Council of Chiefs.

 

The court also issued an interim order mandating all parties involved in the Sansani Chiefdom dispute to maintain the status quo pending the hearing of the substantive motion.

 

In Motion No: TRSJ/12M/2025, the Applicants—Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan (Barayan Sansani), Alhaji Abdulmumini Abdullahi (Sarkin Yaki Sansani), Alhaji Yahaya Salihu (Sarkin Duku), and the Sansani Chiefdom—challenged the decisions of the Taraba State Council of Chiefs and sought the intervention of the court.

 

The Respondents in the case include the Taraba State Government, the Attorney General of Taraba State, the Taraba State Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, the Taraba State Council of Chiefs, His Royal Majesty Manu Ishyaku Ada Ali (Aku-Uku of Wukari), and six others connected to the leadership structure of Sansani Chiefdom.

 

In a ruling delivered on January 13, 2025, the court granted the Applicants' request for an order of certiorari. This allows the High Court to review and potentially quash the decisions and proceedings of the Council of Chiefs concerning the chiefdom's leadership.

 

Additionally, the court issued an interim order for all parties to maintain the status quo ante—effectively freezing any actions or decisions regarding the Sansani Chiefdom—until the matter is heard on January 23, 2025.

 

The Applicants, represented by their legal counsel, Isa Buba Esq., argued that the decisions of the Council of Chiefs were prejudicial and required judicial scrutiny.

 

Justice Adi, in his ruling, noted that the application had merit and warranted the intervention of the court. "LEAVE is hereby granted to the Applicants to apply for judicial review of the proceedings and/or decisions of the Taraba State Council of Chiefs," the judge stated.

 

The decision has temporarily halted all activities related to the Sansani Chiefdom until further determination.

 

The three applicants had earlier petitioned Taraba State Governor Dr Agbu Kefas about their removal and replacement as kingmakers in Sansani Chiefdom without following due process.