The controversy over the estate of Alhaji Zulkanaini Gambari, the late ninth Emir of Ilorin deepened yesterday.

One of his children, Princess Bilkis Gambari, alleged that the Upper Area Court, Ilorin has, like the Sharia Court of Appeal, declined jurisdiction to entertain her application to share the estate.

Bilkis initially filed an application with the Sharia Court of Appeal claiming that the incumbent Emir, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu Gamabari, as the eldest child of their father had failed to share the inheritance, about 15 years after the late traditional ruler died.

The Emir has denied the allegations while the appellate court also declined jurisdiction on grounds that Section 24(h) (i) (j) of the Sharia Court of Appeal Law Cap 145 of the Laws of Kwara State, 1994 forbids it from entertaining the type of application brought by Bilikis unless it was supported by the consent of other heirs to the estate.

But in a fresh letter to the same court with a list of cases she claimed resembled her own and which the court has adjudicated upon, Bilikis is expressing concern that she might be boxed into a corner through alleged judicial silence on her case.

Her argument, in the letter dated November 12, and addressed to the Registrar of he court, is that the Upper Area Court where she had been directed by the appellate court has also declined to entertain the application and redirected her back to the Sharia Court of Appeal.

The letter, a copy of which was obtained by our correspondent reads: "in view of the position taken by the Kwara State Sharia Court of Appeal on the subject matter and pursuant to the advice contained in your letter under reference, I instructed my solicitor to apply to the Upper Area Court, Ilorin. My lawyers prepared and presented for filing all the necessary papers but the Upper Area Court disallowed my lawyers to file the paper in the court.

"Judges of the court maintained that the Kwara State Sharia Court of Appeal has the power to entertain my claims and that since the Sharia Court is declining jurisdiction, the Upper Area Court also would not entertain the claim."

While expressing disappointment over the matter and requesting for justice, Bilkis listed five cases reported in the Annual reports of the Sharia Court of Appeal, which purportedly bear resemblance to her petition. The list include the estate of Alhaji Sulaiman Abdulkarim, distributed on September 3, 1994 and reported on pages 296-302 of the 1994 Report, the Estate of Alhaji Ibrahim Dende, settled on November 7, 1994 and reported in 1995,pages 303-315.