Bribe: Niger Judicial Service Commission dismiss Chief Magistrate, Shariah Court judge, others

Niger State Judicial Service Commission has dismissed a Chief Magistrate, a Shariah, Court Judge, and senior Registrar and five others for Judicial misconduct.

The decision was taken at an emergency meeting held at the NSJSC Secretariat on the 28th July 2025, as part of stringent measure to protect the integrity of the judiciary.

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Among the major steps taken by the state Judicial Service Commission, Chief Magisrate Isaac Yisa of Chief Magisrate Court in Kontagora, Judicial division alongside the Registrar Mohammed Alhaji Ahmed were dismissed from the service with immediate effect.

In a Press release signed by the Secretary of the Niger State Judicial Service Commission (NJSC), Barrister Hauwa Kulu Isah, stated that their dismissal was as a result of their involvement in a serious official misconduct.

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According to the Secretary, the Registrar was as a result of receiving a gratification from a litigant to grant him bail without due regards to the laid down procedure, and the lack of proper record of proceedings among other official misconduct.

Similarly, Mohammed Alhaji Ahmed, was said to have requested and received the sum of ten thousand (N10,000) through his account as gratification before filling bail bonds and production warrant to release a litigant from detention.

Also, the commission sledgehammer fell on Fatihu Hassan a Judge of Upper Shariah Court, Wushishi for receiving the sum 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 were “consequently dismissed under section 61 of the Regulations”

Furthermore Hauwa Kulu Isah disclosed that the Commission compulsorily retired Hajiya Ramatu Suleiman, the Registrar of Shariah Court Bida for conflicts of interest and complexities in a matter of administration of estate of Late Alhaji Hussain Babvana Katcha.

She said the Hajiya Ramatu Suleiman was found to have been engaged in another employment known as (RIFAN COORDINATOR) while still in the services of the Niger State Judiciary, act that contravened section 58(1)4 and liable for dismissal under section 61 of Commission’s Regulations 2018.

The Commission, she said had during its 151st meeting held on the 1st of July, 2025 sanctioned Sadiq Samaila of Kontagora Magistrate court two, dris Alhaji Idris of Shariah 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 Shariah Court Salka, and his Registrar escaped the sledgehammer of the disciplinary committee as petition against them by Barrister Solomon Jiya was dismissed for lack of merit.

The petition with the captioned “Petition Against the Shariah Court Judge,Salka ( Suleiman Aliyu) ,the Registrar (Saidu 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 and fictitious petition 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.

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