By: Mayen Etim

KADUNA, North-West, Nigeria – The deposed Chief of Piriga Chiefdom in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Chief Jonathan Parguwa Zamuna, has dragged the Kaduna State Government (KDSG), before the National lndustrial Court of Nigeria sitting in Kaduna.

The deposed monarch is seeking an order to restrain the government from his purported dethronement or taking further action on the mater pending the determination of the case.

Chief Zamuna is also praying the Court to order KDSG to pay him damages amounting to N25 million for the trauma the purported deposed action cost him which he alleged infringed on his fundamental human rights and carried out without following due process and fair hearing.

Briefing Journalists shortly after the case on Tuesday, Lead Counsel to the Claimant, Barrister Napoleon ldenala, said the paramount ruler was not given any query nor given fair hearing on the offence he was alleged to have committed which led to the harsh action by the state government.

He explained that all attempt by the deposed chief through written letters for government to give him a chance to state his side of the story, proved abortive, and that “since the matter is time bound, he was left with no choice but to approach the Court to demand justice for the breach of his fundamental human rights”, adding that all defendants in the case have been duly served on notice.

Barr. ldenalas had told the Court that Kaduna state government was allegedly attempting to commence the process of appointing a new chief of Piriga to replaced the purported deposed Chief Zamuna, praying the court for an injunction restraining the government from continuing with such action.

Counsel to Kaduna State Government, Barrister Tukur Yahaya, however, dismissed off the alleged attempt by the government to commenced a process of appointing another Chief for the stool of Piriga Chiefdom as mere rumor and speculation. He also said he was yet to receive the service notice from the claimant.

The Presiding Judge, Hon. Justice Sinmisola Adeniyi, ruled out the request for an interim injunction for the allege attempt by government to commence process of appointing a new chief as mere rumor without proof which could not be entered in the court’s record.

The Judge thereafter, adjourned the case to July 26, 2023 for hearing of the Substantive Motion on Notice so as to satisfy the 14 days service window within which all concerned Defence Counsel or parties to file any response or reactions to the motion for injunction.

It would be recalled that the immediate past Governor of the State, Malam Nasir El-Rufa’i had in his last days in office – on May 22, 2023 announced the dethronment of Chief Zamuna as Chief of Piriga and Chief General Iliyah Yammah, (Rtd), the Paramount Ruler of Arak Chiefdom in Sanga Council of the state respectively.

The government announced the development through the Commissioner for Local Government, Umma Ahmad, said the traditional ruler of Arak Chiefdom was deposed for an unacceptable response to a query by the state government over an unauthorised appointment of four District Heads, contrary to the one approved for the chiefdom, and his non-residence within the chiefdom.

She added that the traditional ruler of Piriga Chiefdom was removed because of communal clashes between Gure and Kitimi communities and also his non-residence within the chiefdom.

However, the  government was silent on whether the deposed Piriga Chief, Jonathan Zamuna, was given a query nor return an unsatisfactory reply to a query given to him for the alleged offence committed that led to government’s action.