Supreme Court Set aside Age Long Igbo Practice : Grant Igbo Women Right To Inherit Late Father Properties

Supreme court has set aside age long practice of the Igbo tradition of depriving women of inheritance.

The verdict by the court recently, give Igbo women right to inherit properties from their fathers.

The apex court in Lagos ruled that the age-long tradition was a discrimination against the female folks in Igbo land.

According to report by Vanguard “The Igbo tradition that abominates the right of a female child from benefitting from her father’s properties has been voided by the Supreme Court. In a recent ruling, the apex court in Nigeria upheld that the Igbo age-long tradition fuels gender discrimination which violates the provisions contained in section42(1)(a) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution,”

The development come when a Court of Appeal in Lagos ruled that one Gladys Ada Ukeje (daughter of a late Lazarus Ogbonna Ukeje) who was sued by her mother, Chituru and brother, Enyinnaya, had a right to demand a portion of her father’s inheritance.

Hyenana reacts to ongoing protest in Nigeria Rejecting the verdict, Chituru and Enyinnaya appealed to the Supreme Court for a favourable judgment. Igbo women (Source: UGC) Source: UGC However, in a ruling delivered by Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour, the judgment of the appeal court was upheld.

Spend less on the Internet! Reading out the verdict, Justice Rhodes

Vivour said: “No matter the circumstances of the birth of a female child, such a child is entitled to an inheritance from her late father’s estate. “Consequently, the Igbo customary law, which disentitles a female child from partaking in the sharing of her deceased father’s estate is breach of Section 42(1) and (2) of the Constitution, a fundamental rights provision guaranteed to every Nigerian.”