Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, the Adamawa State Governor, handed over 23 brand new SUVs to judges on Thursday.
The governor said his actions would “strengthen the judiciary”. Yet, the governor has underdelivered on court infrastructure and digitisation projects across the state.
He made the announcement in a statement via his official X account.
“I have today handed over 23 brand new SUVs to our judiciary officers as part of our unwavering commitment to strengthening the justice system in Adamawa State. We remain focused on building institutions that work, and a judiciary that delivers justice without fear or favour.”
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N1.8 BILLION ON VEHICLES, ZERO ON MANY PROJECTS
FIJ found that the vehicles were 2024 GAC GS8 4WD models. Dealers on platforms like Jiji and Autocheck list those vehicles at N74 million or as high as N80 million each, putting the total cost of the 23 vehicles between N1.7 billion and N1.8 billion.
In comparison, several court projects across Adamawa are either unfunded or moving slowly. According to the Q2 budget performance document of the state, a total of N1 billion was allocated to renovate and upgrade area courts in 2024, but so far, no amount has been spent on the projects.
The Sharia Court of Appeal, budgeted for N1.78 million in repairs, is also yet to receive funding for repairs. In Madagali, the state is converting a building into a court for N600 million. Only N186 million has been released for the project as of June.
At the state’s main High Court complex in Yola, N778 million out of a N1 billion budget has been spent. But another N25 million meant to repair two other High Courts has not been disbursed.
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JUDGES ARE FEW, SYSTEM IS SLOW, DIGITISATION STALLED
Adamawa has only 22 judges serving a population of about 4.9 million people, according to the state government directory. This means that there are few courtrooms with insufficient staff strength and a growing backlog of cases.
In November 2024, for instance, Afraimu Jingi, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Adamawa, spoke about case backlogs. He said that while 81 cases had been concluded, 141 were still pending in various courts at the time. Jingi also stated that Adamawa had about 207 unresolved criminal matters.
In June, Supreme Court Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun said digitisation was helping courts in places like Lagos and at the National Industrial Court. She said that online filing, electronic notices and functional websites had reduced delays and improved transparency.
In Adamawa, the judiciary’s digital presence is a shadow of what the standards should be. FIJ visited the official website of the Adamawa State Judiciary and found that most of its sections were either broken, outdated or completely inaccessible.
The e-filing portal, which should allow lawyers and litigants to file documents online, did not load. The court directory meant to show divisions and judges was either blank or linked to error pages. There were no downloadable forms, case schedules or updated legal materials.
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FINTIRI IS ALSO A DEFENDANT IN AN ONGOING COURT CASE
Fintiri is also a defendant in an ongoing legal challenge in his state over the creation of the Fufore Emirate.
In early 2025, three senior title holders of the old Adamawa Emirate —Musa Halilu Ahmed (Dujima Adamawa), Alhaji Mustapha Dahiru Mustapha (Yeriman Adamawa) and Alhaji Mustapha Ahmad (Sarkin Noma Adamawa) — filed a suit at the Adamawa State High Court in Yola, asking the court to nullify the government’s creation of the new emirate.
They argue that the move violates the state’s chiefship law and erodes the heritage of the Adamawa Emirate. In their filings, they describe the decision as one that “alienates the history, culture and deep heritage of the Adamawa Emirate”.
The suit names the Adamawa State Government, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, the Attorney-General, Hapsat Abdulrahman and the newly appointed Emir of Fufore as defendants.
After filing the case, the plaintiffs asked the court to halt the planned coronation of the new Emir, but Justice Musa Usman refused the request and adjourned the matter. In March, the court gave the government more time to respond and adjourned until April 3 for the plaintiffs’ reply and hearing on the main issues.
The state’s Attorney General initially tried to strike out the case, arguing that it had procedural flaws and had wrongly been taken to the Court of Appeal. But the High Court allowed the matter to proceed and permitted the state to file new counter-affidavits.
By mid-2025, the state renewed its objection. This time, it claimed the High Court lacked jurisdiction and asked the judge to suspend proceedings until its appeal at the Court of Appeal was decided.
Justice Usman heard arguments on two separate stay applications in June and fixed July 14 to rule on the jurisdictional challenge. Plaintiffs’ lawyers noted that if the motions were denied, the court could move immediately to hearing evidence in the main case.
As it has been with many recent filings in Adamawa, no final judgment has been delivered. Justice Usman has rejected the bid to halt proceedings, and the case remains active.
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