Atiku’s son, Aminu returns to court against ex-wife

Atiku Abubakar

*Rejects N.25m monthly upkeep

ย Aminu and Fatima on their wedding day in 2007

A former Vice-President, Abubakar Atikuโ€™s son, Aminu, on Thursday took the battle of his childrenโ€™s custody against his ex-wife, Fatima Bolori, to an Igbosere High Court in Lagos.

Aminu asked the court to upturn a magistratesโ€™ courtโ€™s decision which awarded the custody of his two children to Fatima, as well as a N250,000 monthly upkeep.

Aminu told Justice Kazeem Alogba that the lower court disregarded his constitutional right of fair hearing before granting judgment in Fatimaโ€™s favour.

Theย ย News Agency of Nigeriaย reports that on January 10, Magistrate Kikelomo Ayeye sitting at Tinubu on Lagos Island awarded full custody of the ex-coupleโ€™s daughter, Ameera, 11, and son, Aamir, 7, to Fatima.

The lower court held that Aminu failed to file a response to Fatimaโ€™s application for the childrenโ€™s custody.

But Aminu, through his counsel, Oyinkan Badejo, filed an application to the high court seeking leave to appeal the lower courtโ€™s judgment and another application for a stay of further execution of its terms.

The first application, a motion on notice, was brought pursuant to Section 70 of the Magistratesโ€™ Court Law, 2009 and supported by a 16-paragraph application.

Badejo said, โ€œIn response to whether the applicant has shown sufficient grounds for the grant of the application, there is not more sufficient ground than the partyโ€™s right to fair hearing.

โ€œWe arrived at the magistratesโ€™ court at 12.30 p.m., believing the matter was for mention at 1.00 p.m.โ€

She contended that the lower court erred by hearing and granting Fatimaโ€™s application for custody on a date the suit was fixed for mention.

On the second application, Badejo urged the court to vary the conditions attached to the custody order.

Badejo said according to the lower courtโ€™s order, Aminu would pay his ex-wife N250,000 monthly for the upkeep of the children, beginning from January.

She also said that Magistrate Ayeye ordered Aminu to carry out medical insurance on each child, among others.

But Badejo said, โ€œWe are not seeking a stay of the execution of the judgment but some of the terms were onerous.

โ€œWe were asked to pay N250,000 for the upkeep of two young children and medical allowances. We find that rather onerous.โ€

Fatimaโ€™s counsel, Mr. O. N. Olabisi and Mr. Ethel Okoh, opposed Badejo.

But in a bench ruling, Justice Alogba granted Aminu leave to appeal the lower courtโ€™s judgment.

Further hearing was adjourned until May 17 and June 14.

 

(NAN)

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