By Tope Kolawole
A former House of Representatives member, representing Igabi Federal Constituency, Honourable Zayad Ibrahim, has been dragged before an Upper Area Court in Mpape, over his alleged undue interference in the marriage of Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammed with his former wife, Hajia Maryam Yusuf.
The Court has however, assumed jurisdiction on the matter, despite Zayad’s opposition to it.
The former lawmaker has vowed to appeal the ruling of the court.
But rather than go ahead with with the substantive matter before the court, which may lead him to taking the Oath of exoneration before the court to counter the allegation, he vowed to appeal the ruling of the court.
His decision to appeal the ruling may stop him from taking the oath before the court, if he succeed in his appeal.
It would be recalled that Zayad hired a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Sanusi Musa of Aliyu and Musa, SAN and Co. to argue the case before the Upper Area Court, even, when he did not hire one to prosecute his case at the election petition tribunal when he lost the 2023 National Assembly election.
Hon. Zayad was said to have hired Barrister Abubakar Danalami, who is not an SAN to prosecute his election petition case before the tribunal and the court of appeal, during g the 2023 election, which he eventually lost.
One would have expected that rather than appeal the decision of the Upper Area Court, Abuja, Hon. Zayad would have submitted himself to the Court to take the oath of exoneration to save his integrity and that of the woman, Maryam Yusuf.
Honourable Zayad was House of Representatives member between 2019 to 2023. He contested the 2023 National Assembly Election but lost.
After parties argued the preliminary objection, the presiding Judge, A. G. Ogbede, held, “The case before this honorable court is not paternity of child. It is a case of TALAQ MU, allaq of this court. See section 13 of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja Area court (Repeal and enactment) Act, 2010.
“Furthermore, the fact that the claim emanated from a muslim is another feature which confers on the court the exercise of its jurisdiction. It is pertinent here to refer to the provision of section 11 of the F.C.T Abuja Area Courts (Repeal and enactment) Act, 2010 which is also a feature that effectively confirms the jurisdiction of the court in entertaining the case before it.
“Consequently, in my opinion, in view of the above authorities of the act which are valid and subsisting this court has jurisdiction to hear or entertain the case in the present suit.
“In the final analysis and in view of my above consideration of the notice of preliminary objection and the written address by the plaintiff counsel, I found it to be lacking in merit and shall consequently be dismissed.
“I accordingly hereby so dismisses it. I assess the cost sought by the plaintiff counsel which I hereby refuse. The plaintiff is the father of RBIAH he is not denying RABIAH paternity.”
Muhammed told the Court that he had under Islamic law given his former wife certain conditions before marriage.
He told the court, ‘‘I told her clearly if she speaks with any man over 18 years she stands divorced and the reason that I gave that the 1st defendant who is ZAYYAD IBRAHIM who is a business friend whom I have never ever took him to any of my house or rather take my wife to his family, as at the time I had small issue with MARYAM which is normal with family, she just left my house and went to Zayyad’s house after few hours, Zayyad called me that my former wife is in his house with them, I have to go to his house with my friend Kabiru who is here.
“To my surprise, when I arrived into Zayyad house I meet my former wife with his wife, they were strolling on the street of that estate and the first thing Zayyad told me is that I am angry and my former wife is also angry so I should leave and come back the next day to pick my wife.
“Zayyad is not her Wali nor her blood brother. I went to meet Zayyad and told him he should never interfere into my family affairs, I did the same thing to my former wife and to my surprise, few years later, i had small challenge with her again, she drives her car to Zayyad’s house and at the end, I have to divorce her for the third divorce as she had violated my instruction in speaking with Zayyad in 2018. I gave her a lot of rooms before I took the decision of divorce.
