A recent inheritance dispute resolved by a court in Katsina State has reignited calls on the state government to institutionalise and strengthen mechanisms for the equitable distribution of estates in line with Islamic principles, as a means of social and economic empowerment.
The call was made by Engr. Kabiru el-Hussain Rumah, Jakadan Rumah, and Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Jakadan Rumah Foundation (JRF), following a court case that exposed the far-reaching consequences of delayed and improper inheritance distribution.
The case involved a woman who sued the siblings of her late co-wife, demanding her lawful share of inheritance arising from a complex chain of unresolved estates. According to details of the case, the father of the woman’s co-wife, a wealthy man, died without his estate being distributed among his heirs in accordance with Islamic inheritance law (Fara’id), despite the fact that his daughter was entitled to a share.
After the co-wife later died, the estate remained undistributed. The situation was further complicated by the subsequent death of the husband of both women, whose own inheritance — including his entitlement from his late father-in-law’s estate — was also never shared. Under Islamic law, the surviving wife was entitled to inherit from her husband, including interests traceable to her late co-wife’s family.
Faced with resistance from the co-wife’s siblings, the woman approached the court, which ruled in her favour. In a remarkable turn, members of the co-wife’s family reportedly later expressed appreciation to her, as the judgment ensured that lawful heirs ultimately benefited from wealth that had been withheld for years.
Reacting to the case, Engr. Kabiru Rumah described it as a clear illustration of how self-interest and disregard for divine injunctions on inheritance continue to fuel avoidable disputes, particularly among affluent families in Katsina State.
He appealed to Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, PhD, to expand the statutory mandates of the Katsina State Zakat and Waqf Board to include oversight, mediation and administrative management of inheritance matters, stressing that many disputes could be resolved without recourse to prolonged litigation.
“Government alone has the authority to institutionalise monitoring, enforcement and reconciliation in inheritance matters, so families do not have to wait until conflicts escalate to the courts,” he said.
Engr. Kabiru Rumah further argued that Fara’id, by its divine design, is a powerful tool for economic and financial empowerment, noting that beneficiaries in the resolved case achieved a level of financial stability comparable to, or even exceeding, what conventional empowerment schemes such as those of the Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA) offer.
He linked the appeal to the broader social protection discourse, particularly the Katsina State Social Protection Investment Agency Law of 2025, enacted to harmonise interventions for the poor and vulnerable. While commending the government for adopting conventional social protection measures, he noted that Islam provides a comprehensive social protection system encompassing Zakat, Waqf, Sadaqah, Qard Hassan, Takaful, Kafalah, Fara’id and other instruments.
Currently, the Katsina State Zakat and Waqf Board is empowered to manage only Zakat and Waqf. Engr. Kabiru therefore recommended an amendment to the Katsina State Zakat and Waqf Board Law of 2018 to expand its scope and reposition it as an Islamic Social Protection Agency, in line with modern governance practices.
According to him, the coexistence of a strengthened Islamic Social Protection Agency alongside the Katsina State Social Protection Agency would significantly reduce poverty, vulnerability and inequality in the state.
He expressed optimism that with such reforms, Katsina State would ensure inclusive wealth circulation and leave no poor or vulnerable person behind, in line with both religious principles and contemporary social protection ideals.
