NJSC sanctions Chief Magistrate, Shari’ah Court Judge, Senior Registrar, five other administrative staff over misconduct
By: TUNDE BOLAJI MINNA.
Eight servicing judicial officers in Niger state have incurred the wrath of the Nigeria Judicial Service Commission (NJSC) as part of measures put in place to instill discipline in the State Judiciary, taken a bold step to uphold its sanctity and integrity.
While sanctioning the erring officers, the Commission has used its sledgehammer on judicial staff that includes: one Chief Magistrate, a Shari’ah Court Judge, a Senior Registrar, and five other administrative staff for judicial misconduct.
This was the outcome of an emergency meeting held at the NSJSC Secretariat on the 28th July, 2025, where stringent measures were taken against the Chief Magistrate and the Senior Registrar.
The two officers were outrightly dismissed from the service with immediate effect, and those affected were Chief Magistrate Isaac Yisa of the Chief Magistrate Court, Kontagora Judicial Division, alongside the Registrar, Mohammed Alhaji Ahmed.
Secretary of the Commission, Barrister Jauwa Kulu Isah, made this known through a Press release issued and made available to the Newsman in Minna, the state capital, at the weekend.
Barrister Hauwa Kulu Isah stated that their dismissal was a result of their involvement in serious official misconduct.
According to the Secretary, the Registrar was involved in the collection of gratification from a litigant to grant him bail, and also granted bail without regard to the laid down procedures, and a lack of keeping proper records of proceedings, among other official misconduct.
Similarly, Barrister Kulu Ish explained further that Mohammed Alhaji Ahmd was said to have requested and received the sum of ten thousand (N10,000) through his account as gratification before filing bail bonds and production warrant to release a litigant from detention.
Also, the commission’s sledgehammer felled heavily on Fatihu Hassan, a Judge of Upper Shari’ah Court, Wushish, for receiving the sum of Eight Hundred thousand naira in a land-related dispute case before him and his failure to determine the matter between the parties.
The dismissed staff’s actions according to the Secretary of the NSJSC, were found to be in contravention of section 58 (1) (2) (4) (6) and (8) of the Niger State Judicial Service Regulations 2018 and “consequently dismissed under section 61 of the Regulations.”
Furthermore, Hauwa Kulu Isah disclosed that the Commission compulsorily retired Hajiya Ramatu Suleiman, the Registrar of Shari’ah Court Bid, for conflicts of interest and complexities in a matter of the administration of the estate of Late Alhaji Hussain Babyana Katcha.
She said that Hajiya Ramatu Suleiman is found to have been engaged in another employment known as (RIFAN COORDINATOR) while still in the services of the Niger State Judiciary, an action that contravened section 58 (1) 4 and is liable for dismissal under section 61 of the Commission’s Regulations 2018.
The Commission, she said had earlier during its 15st meeting held on the 1st of July, 2025 sanctioned Sadiq Sama’ila of Kontagora Magistrate court two, Idris Alhaji Idris of Shari’ah Court Lapai, Senior Registrar, and a court clerk to different forms of disciplinary action “having found them culpable by the Investigation committee that investigated the petition against them”
However, Sani Aliyu, a Judge of Upper Shar’iah Court Salka, and his Registrar escaped the sledgehammer of the disciplinary committee as a petition against them by Barrister Solomon Jiya was dismissed for lack of merit.
The Petition captioned “Petition against the Shari’ah Court Judge, Salka (Suleiman Aliyu), the Registrar (Sa’idu Idris), and Sani Aliyu (GT) for abuse of judicial process, aiding Criminal activities, Obstruction of Justice, and other gross Misconduct” was dismissed.
Hauwa Kulu declared that the Commission found the claims to be unsubstantiated and consequently issued a serious warning to the petitioner and the general public to refrain from filing frivolous, fictitious and sensational petitions capable of tarnishing the image of its state Judicial officers and staff as well as using the courts to disrupt the peaceful coexistence of people of different faith in the state.
