By Ben Adaji, Jalingo
A Taraba State High Court sitting in Jalingo on Wednesday declared the appointment and installation of Methuselah Adamu as the Third-Class Chief of Kwararafa Chiefdom in Gassol Local Government Area null and void.
Delivering judgment in case number TRSJ/85/2018, Justice Dauda Buba ruled that the coronation of Adamu on March 23, 2023, violated a subsisting court order dated March 10, 2023, rendering the appointment unconstitutional and legally invalid.
The suit, filed by Mallam Ibrahim Isa, sought recognition as the duly appointed Village Head of Kwararafa in Wuryo District, arguing that he was most qualified for the Third-Class chieftaincy based on native law and custom. The defendants included Methuselah Adamu, the Governor of Taraba State, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, and the Kwararafa Chiefdom Council.
Justice Buba emphasized that both Adamu and his predecessor, the late John Agbu, were not natives of Kwararafa by birth and did not belong to any recognized ruling family in Wuryo or Gassol. Their appointments, he said, contravened established procedures governing nomination, selection, approval by kingmakers, and installation.
“The Kwararafa Chiefdom is a statutory creation, and while the Governor may act within the powers conferred by law, the appointment of Methuselah Adamu was in flagrant disobedience of a valid court order and is therefore null and void,” the judge stated.
Justice Buba affirmed that the plaintiff has the legal standing to bring the suit and is a member of a recognized ruling house, making him qualified for selection and turbaning as the Third-Class Chief of Kwararafa.
Speaking after the ruling, Bar. Umar Danladi, Principal State Counsel in the Ministry of Justice, said the Taraba State Government would appeal the judgment at the Court of Appeal, Yola Division. Bar. Joseph Gamu, counsel for the first and fourth defendants, indicated they would review the judgment before deciding on further action.
Community leader Mallam Abubakar Bello urged the state government to respect the court’s decision and avoid actions that could inflame tensions among the litigants.
Justice Buba also awarded N500,000 to cover the defendants’ legal costs
