There are many communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where those who cannot afford houses in the highbrow areas reside. Jahi 11, a small community in the heart of territory, is one of them, but with a unique way of settling disputes among its residents. TOPE SUNDAY writes.
For non-Abuja residents, everywhere in the city is an highbrow area and unknown to them, there are many slums and villages in and around Abuja, where people who can’t afford houses in Maitama, Asokoro; Gwarinpa and Lugbe Housing estates are domiciled.
Reportedly, most of the slums and villages in the FCT have their share of one crime or the other. However, Jahi 11, a community under Abuja Municipal Area Council( AMAC), is different with a unique dispute resolution mechanism that makes all the warring parties winners.
The community
The 51-year-old community can be easily accessed from anywhere in the FCT. It neighbours Jahi l, another community. For a first-term visitor, Jahi ll appears like every other village in the FCT because of the availability of electricity as well as the sprawling structures that are springing up at its entrant and exit points.
It has a Police Post at it entrance, which is located at the back of Aduvie International School. The community has a big central mosque and virtually all the branches of the Orthodox and Pentecostal churches.
Many settled cases
A resident, Abdullahi Mahammadu, said the Chief of Jahi 11, Malam Salihu M. Adamu, had through his cabinet members, settled the dispute between him and his neighbour over land issue. Muhammadu, who spoke to Blueprint Weekend, said his neighbour’s generating set was disturbing his family, but he failed to listen to his complaint.
“But when we got to the chief palace chief, the chief summoned the two of us. After we spoke, he directed one of his cabinet members to follow us to our area.
“When we got to the place, he surveyed our land, and asked my neighbour to remove his generating set from the initial place, and he was shown the new place. My neighbour agreed with their directive, and since then, we have not argued over the same issue,” he said.
Another resident, Wale Kehinde, told this reporter that when he parted ways with his ex-wife, the chief of the community intervened and his intervention assisted the two of them to share responsibilities of their children.
He said, “Though, when my ex-wife and I started having issues with our marriage, we did not involve the chief of the community, when it collapsed, and my life was being threatened, I ran to him.
“The chief did everything within his power to ensure we resolve our differences, but my ex-wife was adamant. But the chief alongside his cabinet members, succeeded in calming the two of us down, and we all agreed to share responsibilities of our children’s upkeep.”
A member of Yoruba Community Development Association, Jahi 11, Prince John Adejoro, told Blueprint Weekend that in the community most of the disputes associated with Yoruba indigenes are referred to the association for amicable settlement.
He cited a case when two brothers had issues over a house and the argument was on the verge of degenerating into a life-threatening one, saying that it took the intervention of the community chief and YCDA to settle the matter amicably.
Adejoro said: “I was with my chairman, Prince Ojo Oluwadamilare, about two weeks ago, when the Chief of Jahi 11 called him on phone. On getting to the palace, we met one Mr. Kayode, a native of Modakeke in Osun state, who was in the palace to report his brother, Mr. Seun, over a house issue.
“The palace chief instructed our chairman to take over the matter since the two of them are Yoruba. My chairman immediately asked Mr. Kayode to follow him to his house, where his younger brother, Seun, was also summoned.
“For about two hours the both parties explained their own sides of the stories. Mr. Kayode alleged that his brother threatened his life over his refusal to give him money to return to Ibadan, Oyo state, where he came from.
“But Mr. Seun, who dispelled his brother’s allegation, said he sought his brother’s permission to roof a single room in his (brother’s) house and live there pending the time he would have money to rent his apartment. But now that he wanted to go, his brother should give him N50, 000 to aid his relocation to Ibadan.
“Our chairman and his cabinet members, however, pleaded with the both parties to embrace peace and settle the matter amicably. Mr. Seun later agreed to collect N15, 000 from his elder brother and the matter was settled. The chairman of Yoruba community in the area also pleaded with Mr. Kayode to concede the first payment he would collect on the single room to his brother. The both parties left happily.
“Let me tell you, this is one of many cases we have settled in Jahi 11. To the best of my knowledge some of the issues are referred to the heads of each tribal community to handle the matter.”
Tenancy issues
Blueprint Weekend gathered that tenancy matters are also attended to amicably without recourse to the court for further action. Adejoro also told this medium the story of a Yoruba man, who he said owed a two-year house rent. He said after many sittings at the palace, the man declined to make any payment and refused to honour all the agreements reached at the palace.
“The man in question is a Yoruba man. He owed his landlord a two-year house rent. From what I observed about him, he was not ready to pay his landlord. But he was at the chief palace many times and he was asked to make payment to his landlord. The man was bent on not honouring his agreement.
But after six months, he was asked to vacate the building since he was not ready to pay his rent, and his moveable property were evacuated from the building.
“He was treated fairly because at the Chief Palace, if you are owe house rent, they would plead with the landlord to collect any amount from his tenant and give another long date for the tenant to get the remaining balance.”
How we settle disputes – Chief
The Chief of Jahi 11, Malam Salihu Adamu, who spoke without reporter on Thursday, said he involves leaders of various tribes in the tribes while adjudicating on any matter concerning their kinsmen.
He said, “In this community, Jahi 11, we live in peace. We don’t have problems with different tribes that are living with us. We share good ideas on how to promote to our community and bring development here. I will invite the leaders of each tribe to my palace to ensure that we have peace in this community.
“If anybody brings any case here, I will invite the leader of his tribe and the leader of the tribe of the second party. If the case is about my language person (Gbagyi), I will invite my cabinet members, and tribal leader of the person they are having issues with and the matter will be settled amicably in the palace.
“I may also hand over the matter to the leader of the complainant’s tribe to go and settle the matter amicably and at the end of the day, he would report to me. Sometimes, we would invite the police to see how our judgement would go.
“We cooperate with the police and vigilantes in this community. We cooperate with the government and we don’t promote any act of criminality. Any issue that involves the police will be referred to them, but if they can’t handle it, we will take it to the court.”
My experience
Speaking on his experience, he said, “There was a case of a Bauchi lady who was impregnated and the leader of the Bauchi community brought the lady to my palace. The matter was already reported at the police station. We tried our best and we invited the leader of the man’s tribe, and that of the lady. We sat here in the palace and the matter was settled.
“Thank God, the man agreed he was the one who impregnated the lady and at the end of the day, she delivered a baby that resembled him. With our effort, the man did not cheat the lady and as I am speaking with you, they are blessed with three children.
“Also, if they arrest a criminal, we will call the vigilantes and police and handover the suspect to them for them to continue with their investigation. We treat everybody equally. We don’t settle issues based on tribal, religious sentiments. In this community everybody is seen and treated as equal.”
