Kaduna court set to deliver judgement on suit seeking release of corpse after ten months
By: Austine Agbo Emmanuel, Kaduna
http://www.newsportng.com.ng Upper Customary Court, Television Sabon Tasha, in Kaduna state has fixed September 19th as date to deliver judgement on suit seeking for the release of corpse for burial after 10-months of demise.
It could be recalled that News-Port Nigeria earlier reported a case between One Mr. Emmanuel Bakam and his siblings following their disagreement on where the remain of their late mother, Mrs. Cecelia Peter Bakam should be buried following her alledged dieing wish.
Late Mrs Cecelia Peter Bakam, a 70-year old woman, who died in September, 2023 is yet to be buried on the ground of culture.
Her children, Hajiya Maryam Doka, Maureen Kabrik Bakam, Veronica Dudu Bakam, and Pascalina Bakam, refused to grant access to the first son of the family, Mr. Emmanuel Bakam and the elders because their requests to bury their late mother inside a room alongside their late father was not granted, a development that forced the elder brother to approach the court in January this year, seeking the release of his mother’s corpse for burial in accordance with the Bajju native custom and tradition, which stipulated that his late mother should be buried outside her matrimonial home. A decision that other siblings rejected.
Earlier, the Counsel to the first plaintiff, Barrister James Bala Ndam said that “the case specifically is on the issue of the tradition of the Bajju people on burial when a member of the family does what should be done and who has a stake in the process of the burial.
“The children of the deceased in this matter withheld the corpse of their mother, denying the first male child of the family and the elders of the family access to the corpse for burial at their village.
“The mother died on September 15, 2023. The elders showed them where their late mother should be buried but they insisted that she must be buried inside the house that was built on the family land; while the elders insisted they don’t bury people inside the room but outside
“Our prayers are for the court to order the defendants to allow the first male child to have access to the corpse of their late mother and for her to be released for proper burial on the ground that they are bound to do so under the Bajju laws and custom.
“Because of the nature of the case we are not asking for any cost or any amount of money but for the unity of the family. We are only appealing to the court to declare that what we brought before the court is the right practice in the Bajju native laws and customs”, he explained.
The presiding Judge, Justice Danladi Douglas, after both parties filed their written address on Monday, has fixed September 17th for the judgement. He called on both parties to remain calm as the court is determined to do justice without fear or favour.
The Counsel to the defendants declined to comment on the matter.
