The Sharia Court sitting at the Hisbah headquarters in Kano has ordered the arrest of the village head of Tamburawa in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area, Alhaji Auwal Umar Dantube, for failing to appear before it in a case involving allegations of defamation and unlawful appropriation of property.
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The order was issued by Judge Malam Sani Tanimu Sani Hausawa after the traditional ruler failed to honour the court’s invitation. He was arraigned alongside his aide, Sulaiman Dogo Matage, following a petition lodged at the Zone One Police headquarters by the family of the late Alhaji Mammada Tamburawa. The petitioners accused them of defamation, public disturbance, and unlawfully taking over property.
However, before the police could enforce the arrest warrant, the village head’s lawyer, Barrister Tijjani Kabir Dukawa, presented him in court. Upon hearing the charges, the defendant pleaded not guilty, while his counsel immediately applied for bail.
The judge granted bail with strict conditions, requiring two sureties. One must be a family member or the defendant’s wife, while the other should be a ward head or another village head under the Dawakin Kudu District Head. Both sureties are expected to provide a government employment letter and valid identification.
Until the bail conditions are met, the court directed that the village head be remanded in custody. The case was adjourned to August 28, 2025, for the complainants to present their witnesses.
Speaking after the court sitting, one of the orphans behind the petition said they are determined to reclaim their inheritance, which they alleged was wrongfully taken by the village head. “He has no authority to deprive us of what belongs to us,” the petitioner stated.
Efforts to get comments from the village head’s lawyer proved unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
