From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
A family of Allahmagani of Fadia Tudun Wada in Bajju chiefdom in Zango Kataf local government area of Kaduna State has expressed sadness that almost two years after the death of their mother, her burial rites have become controversial with the remains in a mortuary all the while.
The eldest son and next kin of the deceased, Mr. Emmanuel Yamai Bakam said he was not aware of the arrangements by his siblings to bury their mother on Saturday, May 3rd, 2025 right inside the sitting room of the family house in the chiefdom.
Addressing a press conference on Friday in Kaduna city, Mr. Bakam said such burial arrangement is against the Bajju native law and customs, adding that it is capable of igniting violence in the community.
He said the Bajju customs stipulates that the deceased should be buried within the family compound and not inside a room, pointing out that only a person who died at the age of 100 years could be buried in a room as demanded by the customs.
Mr. Bakam however, appealed to Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani and security agencies to allow him and other family members to give “our mother a befitting burial in accordance with the Bajju tradition as demanded by the elders and affirmed by judicial pronouncements”.
According to Mr. Bakam, “The Allahmagani family of Fadia Tudun Wada in Kajju Chiefdom in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State are saddened that for one (1) year and eight (8) months after the death of their mother, her burial rites have become controversial and disgraceful.
“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, whose 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 the corpse of our mother was not released to me.
“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.
“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.”