Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / New
Stats: 3,143,330 members, 7,780,860 topics. Date: Friday, 29 March 2024 at 01:00 AM

Supreme Court Upholds Right Of Female Child To Inherit Properties In Igboland - Culture - Nairaland

Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Culture / Supreme Court Upholds Right Of Female Child To Inherit Properties In Igboland (867 Views)

Is It True A Lady Cannot Buy Land By Herself In Igboland? / Igboland And Yorubaland / Signifiance Of Daura Emirate Turbaning Ceremony Of Female Child (2) (3) (4)

(1) (Reply) (Go Down)

Supreme Court Upholds Right Of Female Child To Inherit Properties In Igboland by Everfrank(m): 5:16am On Jul 04, 2016
The Supreme Court has voided the Igbo law and custom, which forbid a female from inheriting her late father’s estate, on the grounds that it is discriminatory and conflicts with the provision of the constitution.

The court held that the practice conflicted with section 42(1)(a) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution. The judgment was on the appeal marked: SC.224/2004 filed by Mrs. Lois Chituru Ukeje (wife of the late Lazarus Ogbonna Ukeje) and their son, Enyinnaya Lazarus Ukeje against Mrs. Cladys Ada Ukeje (the deceased’s daughter).

Cladys had sued the deceased’s wife and son before the Lagos High Court, claiming to be one of the deceased’s children and sought to be included among those to administer their deceased’s father’s estate.

The trial court found that he was a daughter to the deceased and that she was qualified to benefit from the estate of their father who died intestate in Lagos in1981.

The Court of Appeal, Lagos to which Mrs. Lois Ukeje and Enyinnaya Ukeje appealed, upheld the decision of the trail court, prompting them to appeal to the Supreme Court.
In its judgment last Friday, the Supreme Court held that the Court of Appeal, Lagos was right to have voided the Igbo’s native law and custom that disinherit female children.

Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, who read the lead judgment, held that “no matter the circumstances of the birth of a female child, such a child is entitled to an inheritance from her later father’s estate.

“Consequently, the Igbo customary law, which disentitles a female child from partaking in the sharing of her deceased father’s estate is breach of Section 42(1) and (2) of the Constitution, a fundamental rights provision guaranteed to every Nigerian.

“The said discriminatory customary law is void as it conflicts with Section 42(1) and (2) of the Constitution. In the light of all that I have been saying, the appeal is dismissed. In the spirit of reconciliation, parties to bear their own costs,” Justice Rhodes-Vivour said.

Justices Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen, Claral Bata Ogunbiyi, Kumai Bayang Aka’ahs and John Inyang Okoro, who were part of the panel that heard the appeal, agreed with the lead judgment.

http://www.cracong.org/supreme-court-upholds-right-of-female-child-to-inherit-properties-in-igboland/

1 Share

Re: Supreme Court Upholds Right Of Female Child To Inherit Properties In Igboland by sekundosekundo: 5:27am On Jul 04, 2016
When una finish, mek una come share my Papa property give my married sisters. Yeye dey smell.
Re: Supreme Court Upholds Right Of Female Child To Inherit Properties In Igboland by chukkystar(m): 5:39am On Jul 04, 2016
Go tell those old men see if Dem go hear U!! Then U carry their property go ur Husband house
Re: Supreme Court Upholds Right Of Female Child To Inherit Properties In Igboland by shyling(f): 6:06am On Jul 04, 2016
Y were they appealing? Their lawyer ought to be probed...
Re: Supreme Court Upholds Right Of Female Child To Inherit Properties In Igboland by Cutehector(m): 6:11am On Jul 04, 2016
Lol some brothers go come dey vex....


But me, I nor go vex. grin. Infact, it is a welcome development.


So by the tym I marry one Igbo billionaire daughter, grin


Inshort, make I no talk anything
Re: Supreme Court Upholds Right Of Female Child To Inherit Properties In Igboland by Ihuomadinihu: 9:23am On Jul 04, 2016
Father's not giving a little or significant property to their daughters' is a sort of retrogression of Igbo culture.
Essentially,giving out properties to male children is to make sure that they have something to rely on when they set out on their own,it doesn't mean that nothing is given to female children.
I have seen old houses and animal sheds that were bequeated to female kids in some parts of Igbolands.
If a man has enough properties what stops him from giving some out to his female children?
I believe western civilization changed a lot of things. In a traditional sense,a Female child is the child of her father whether she is married or not,she is even free to come back after marriage(divorce) and stay/inherit her father's property. In a situation where a man has no male child,the female children inherits his property.

It all depends on the cultural timeline you are referencing.

1 Like

Re: Supreme Court Upholds Right Of Female Child To Inherit Properties In Igboland by Peritus(m): 3:02pm On Jul 06, 2016
This judgment is lacking in content and depth. It failed to address the issue as to whether a married woman is entitled to her father's landed property or family property.
If yes, then it's an aberration as it means that a lady married to a man in Delta State will own a land in her father's compound which automatically makes it her husband's.

(1) (Reply)

Anarchy Looming At Ojoto Over The Tussle For Igweship / We Want A New King In Ijebu Igbo / Mko Abiola: The Untold Story Of How He Was Installed

(Go Up)

Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health
religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket

Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10)

Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 13
Disclaimer: Every Nairaland member is solely responsible for anything that he/she posts or uploads on Nairaland.