Akwa Ibom Women Can Inherit Father’s Properties – Court

A State High Court sitting in Etinan, Akwa Ibom has abolished the norms that disallows women to own their father’s properties.

Justice Pius Idiong gave the order when he presided over a suit on family heritage, which was between eight biological children of one late Obong Patrick Joseph Noah of Edem Ekpat in the community.

The Nigerian Lawyer reports that they sued their aunty Mrs. Gertrude Ekanem who wanted to own a landed property belonging to her deceased sister “who died and left behind the property without a husband or a child.”

The argument of the family was that customarily, properties are for male children to inherit.

But in his judgement, Justice Idiong said that such culture was “primitive” and had a problem if it contravenes the constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria.

He also stressed that the laws of Nigeria captured the fundamental rights of citizens without making it the exclusive reserve of a particular sex.

He dismissed the suit on Wednesday, adding that such norms had no place in the area.