Justice C. Donglong of the Plateau State High Court on Friday adjourned until October 29, 2026, further proceedings in the suit challenging the June 9 judgement granting indigeneship to the Hausa in Jos North Local Government Area of the state.

Recalled that Justice Donglong had June 9, 2026, ruled that a Hausa person born and raised in Jos North LGA is as an indigene of the area.

Two applicants – Fatima Baba Akawu 1st claimant and her father Baba Alhaji Akawu – 2nd claimant had filed a case against Jos North LGA over the denial of an indigene certificate to the first claimant.

The applicants had approached the court to determine on four issues including whether the 1st claimant, by virtue of her birth in Jos North LGA to a father who is a bona fide indigene of that area, is entitled to be recognised as an indigene and to be issued a Certificate of Indigene, notwithstanding her Hausa ethnic origin.

Whether the defendant’s denial of the 1st claimant’s application for a certificate of indigene, whilst simultaneously issuing a residential certificate to her and a certificate of indigene to one Dung Bot of Berom ethnic origin on the same date, constitutes discriminatory practice unconstitutional under Sections 42(1),42(2), 15(2) and (5), 17(1), (2)(a) and (3)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Articles 2 and 3 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Whether the 2nd claimant’s status as a bona fide indigene of Jos North LGA and a former member of the House of Representatives, representing Jos North LGA in the National Assembly in 1983, entitles his offspring, including the 1st claimant, to be issued certificates of Indigene of Jos North LGA.

However, at the hearing of the appeal of the judgement by the Jos North council, the presiding judge adjourned the case and fixed a date to rule on a preliminary objection challenging the appearance of a new team of lawyers representing the respondents before proceeding with the substantive applications seeking to set aside the judgment.

At Friday’s proceedings, counsel to Jos North Council, Garba Pwul, SAN, objected to the appearance of a new legal team representing the respondents, arguing that the lawyers were not originally on record and had failed to comply with the court rules governing change of counsel.

According to him, Order 52 of the Rules of the Plateau State High Court requires a formal notice of change of counsel before another lawyer can take over a matter.

Responding, counsel to the respondents, Yakubu H., SAN, insisted that every litigant has a constitutional right to engage counsel of his or her choice. He explained that the judgment was entered in favour of the respondents and that Fatima Akawu and her father, Baba Alhaji Akawu, elected to engage separate legal teams because they are distinct parties in the suit. (Weekend Trust)