A Minna High Court has upheld the removal and dismissal of the Amana Kakanda, the village head of Muye in Niger State, Alhaji Abdulqadir Muhammad Maigari.
The judge, Justice Maimuna A. Abubakar has however ordered the payment of salary arrears due to the royal father during his suspension before his dismissal from office by government.
The village head was dismissed by the government in 2021 after accusing him of gross insubordination by blowing of royal trumpets during official outings, a practice said to be exclusively preserved for first class traditional rulers.
Amanda Kakanda and some title holders including the Chief Imam had approached the court in a suit filed by their counsel, N.A. Tanko and A. N. Musu and prayed the court to declare his dismissal illegal, null and void.
The plaintiffs argued that Amanda Kakanda was not given fair hearing before his dismissal. In the suit the governor of Niger State, Lapai local government council, Etsu Lapai Alhaji Umaru Bago III and two others were listed as defendants in the matter.
Justice Maimuna Abubakar in her ruling dismissed seven out of the eight reliefs sought by the plaintiffs but granted relief number three which was in favour of payment of the royal father’s withheld salary arrears during his suspension before final dismissal.
The judgement read thus “ the contention of the plaintiffs that the 1st plaintiff was not given fair hearing by the investigative committee is false”.
Consequently , the court held that the plaintiffs failed to establish their case to be entitled to the reliefs sought except relief No 3 which has to do with payment of salary arrears.
She said, “Consequently, reliefs 1,2,4,5,6,7 and 8 are hereby refused while relief 3 is granted as follows: The court hereby direct the 2nd defendant to pay to the 1st plaintiff all his arrears of salaries as the village head of Muye on grade level 07/06 from 15th April 2020 when he was appointed till 20th May 2021 when he was removed/dismissed “