…Court to Hear Case November 4
By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The lingering controversy surrounding the 2020 succession to the Zazzau Emirate throne has taken a fresh legal turn, as the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmad Nuhu Bamalli, now faces two separate defamation suits over remarks he allegedly made during an interview with Radio France Internationale (RFI).
The Emir is being sued by Dr. Nasiru Bashari Aminu, son of the late Iyan Zazzau, and Alhaji Ibrahim Aminu, the former Wazirin Zazzau, who are both challenging statements they consider false and injurious to their reputation.
According to court filings obtained in Kaduna, Dr. Nasiru Bashari Aminu alleges that the Emir falsely suggested in the interview that confidential information regarding the 2020 succession process was leaked to his late father by the then-Wazirin Zazzau, Alhaji Ibrahim Aminu.
The Aminu family described the Emir’s remarks as “false, defamatory, and damaging” to the dignity and memory of the late prince, who they insist acted with utmost loyalty and integrity during the succession process.
In a related suit, Alhaji Ibrahim Aminu is also suing the Emir for allegedly describing him as “arrogant” and insinuating that he leaked sensitive details during the emirate selection process.
“To portray our late father as complicit in any form of impropriety is a grave insult that the family cannot ignore,” the statement from the Aminu family noted.
Court documents indicate that the two cases have been scheduled for hearing on November 4, 2025, at the High Court of Kaduna State, Zaria Judicial Division.
The late Iyan Zazzau, Bashari Aminu, reportedly secured the highest number of votes from the kingmakers during the 2020 succession process but was not selected. The family stressed that despite this, he accepted the outcome peacefully, urged loyalty to the newly appointed Emir, and sought legal redress through proper channels.
Legal observers say the suits may reopen old wounds in the Zazzau Emirate, which had witnessed intense controversy and division following the 2020 selection process that produced Ambassador Bamalli as Emir.
