A prominent Adamawa politician, Professor Caleb Fili, has been accused of using his influence to deny his former wife, Ms. Zhihwi Mercy Tizhe, access to their four daughters for the past twelve years.
Fili, a notable Labour Party chieftain during the 2023 general elections in Adamawa State, reportedly separated from Tizhe twelve years ago and has since kept the children in his custody. The prolonged denial of access compelled Tizhe to seek redress in court.
Despite a judgment delivered on January 15, 2024, by the Upper Area Court, Yola, presided over by Justice Buba Abubakar, granting her custody of the third and fourth daughters, Fili has allegedly refused to comply with the ruling.
The matter took a new twist on Wednesday when the Adamawa State Ministry of Justice was alleged to have attempted to pressure Tizhe into signing a document forfeiting her right to custody of the two younger daughters, who are still minors.
Addressing journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Yola on Thursday, Tizhe, a staff member of the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) project, accused Professor Fili of leveraging his connections to frustrate the enforcement of the court judgment.
She lamented that she has been denied any form of access to her daughters, who are currently in the care of their paternal aunt, and that her petitions to the Chief Judge of Adamawa State, the Governor, the National Human Rights Commission, and the Attorney-General of the Federation have yielded no positive outcome.
Tizhe also alleged that officials of the Adamawa State Ministry of Justice tried to compel her to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would effectively nullify the existing court judgment, an overture she firmly rejected, insisting that no MoU can override a valid court order.
Her case has raised broader concerns about the protection of women and children in similar circumstances and the effectiveness of the justice system in enforcing court decisions. She warned that the failure to implement clear judgments undermines public confidence in the judiciary.
Tizhe appealed for urgent intervention from the Attorney-General of the Federation, the National Human Rights Commission, and civil society organisations, stressing that the Adamawa State government has a duty to ensure justice and uphold the rights of its citizens.
She disclosed that the 12-year legal battle has taken a heavy toll on her health, family life, and professional commitments.
“I lead a national inclusion programme but have been stranded in Yola for weeks, missing an international conference in Abuja, just waiting for justice that keeps slipping away,” she said.
“The failure to enforce judgments undermines public confidence in the judiciary. It is imperative that the authorities take immediate action to address my grievances and ensure that justice is done,” she added.
