By Gabriel Ameh
📍Abuja | Media Report
A legal dispute has erupted over the estate of former Niger State Governor, Engr. Abdulkadir A. Kure, as one of his sons has taken his mother, Senator Zainab Abdulkadir Kure, to court over the alleged unlawful administration of the late governor’s assets.
The case, currently before the Upper Area Court in the Gudu Judicial Division of Abuja, was instituted by Umar Farouq Abdulkadir, the second son of the deceased.
Engr. Kure, who governed Niger State from May 29, 1999, to May 29, 2007, died intestate on January 8, 2017, leaving behind multiple properties and financial assets.
In the suit filed on April 7, 2026, through his counsel, Aliyu Yusuf Esq. and E.C. Ezugwu Esq., the plaintiff accused his mother of unilaterally managing and distributing the estate without the consent or knowledge of other beneficiaries.
According to court documents, Umar Farouq alleged that in 2019, Senator Zainab Kure secretly obtained Letters of Administration from the Niger State High Court, granting her authority over the estate.
He further claimed that the family residence located at No. 31, Suleiman Barau Crescent, Asokoro, Abuja, was re-sealed and allocated to the defendant’s exclusive use, thereby denying other heirs access to the property.
The plaintiff also raised concerns over financial transparency, alleging that two estate accounts domiciled in First City Monument Bank (FCMB) were solely controlled by the defendant without proper accountability to the remaining seven heirs.
The listed beneficiaries of the estate include the widow, Senator Zainab Abdulkadir Kure, four sons Ibrahim, Umar Farouq, Khalifa, and Usman Nuraini and two daughters, Yasmin and Khadija.
As part of the relief sought, the plaintiff is asking the court to declare the current administration of the estate unlawful and to mandate a redistribution of the assets in line with Islamic (Sharia) inheritance principles.
He also urged the court to compel all parties to jointly appoint a qualified Islamic scholar to oversee the equitable sharing of the property, particularly the Asokoro residence.
Additionally, the suit seeks an injunction restraining the defendant from exercising ownership or control over the disputed property pending the final determination of the case.
The matter is expected to test both legal and religious interpretations of inheritance rights within the family.
