Kano JSC retires judge over bribery, penalises court staff

The Kano State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has taken disciplinary action against several judicial officers and court personnel, retiring a Shari’a Court judge over bribery and imposing sanctions on others for misconduct, negligence and administrative infractions.

The decisions were reached at the commission’s 90th meeting after it reviewed reports submitted by its Establishment Committee and the Judiciary Public Complaints Committee.

The commission compulsorily retired Alkali Aliyu Muhammad, the presiding judge of the Shari’a Court in Babeji, after finding him culpable of accepting a bribe in a civil matter. He was also ordered to refund ₦250,000 received as gratification.

Also affected was court clerk Ibrahim Ahmad Ibrahim, who was suspended without pay for four months after admitting to sharing the bribe collected in the case.

In a separate decision, the JSC approved the compulsory retirement of Muzambilu Ado, Acting Director of Information and Statistics at the Shari’a Court of Appeal, over discrepancies relating to his academic qualifications and admission into the Nigerian Law School.

The commission also demoted Alkali Usman Haruna Usman of the Upper Shari’a Court, Goron Dutse, by one grade level for negligence after he allowed proceeds from the sale of an estate to be paid into a court official’s personal bank account. He was issued a formal warning in addition to an earlier recall from judicial duties.

Another judicial officer, Alkali Abdullahi Wayya of the Upper Shari’a Court, Kasuwa, received a warning over his handling of a bail process that resulted in the wrongful release of a defendant.

The JSC further referred Inspector Shehu Adamu to the Commissioner of Police for investigation over allegations that he misrepresented facts relating to bail conditions before the court. Two court registrars, Salmanu Zubairu and Ahmad Kabir, will also face further investigation over their involvement in processing the bail documents.

Meanwhile, the commission reinstated Hon. Alkali Umar Sunusi Danbaba to judicial duties after reviewing fresh documents indicating that the Judiciary Public Complaints Committee had not recommended his recall. His salary and other entitlements were also restored.

In a statement issued by the commission’s spokesperson, Baba Jibo Ibrahim, the JSC reaffirmed its commitment to promoting integrity, accountability and professionalism within the judiciary, warning that any judicial officer or employee found guilty of misconduct would face appropriate disciplinary measures in accordance with the law.