The Kano State Judicial Service Commission has ordered the immediate compulsory retirement of a Sharia court judge and the Acting Director of Information and Statistics at the Shari’a Court of Appeal following findings of misconduct.
The decision was announced in a statement issued on Tuesday by the spokesperson for the Kano State Judiciary, Baba Jibo Ibrahim.
According to the statement, the disciplinary measures were approved during the commission’s 90th meeting held on July 3, 2026, after it reviewed reports submitted by the Establishment Committee and the Judiciary Public Complaints Committee (JPCC) on petitions involving judicial officers and other judiciary staff.
“The Kano State Judicial Service Commission, at its 90th meeting held on 3rd July, 2026, under the chairmanship of the chief Judge of Kano State, considered reports and recommendations of the Establishment Committee and the Judiciary Public Complaints Committee on petitions and disciplinary matters involving Sharia Court Judges and staff of the Kano State Judiciary.
After careful deliberation, the Commission approved a number of disciplinary measures in line with its constitutional mandate to uphold integrity, accountability and public confidence in the administration of justice,” the statement partly read.
Among those affected is the Presiding Judge of the Shari’a Court in Babeji, Aliyu Muhammad, who was directed to proceed on compulsory retirement after the JPCC found him guilty of bribery and corruption in relation to Suit No. CV/474/2024 between Talatu Ibrahim and Muntari Abubakar Baguda.
The commission also instructed him to refund the ₦250,000 he was found to have received as gratification.
In the same case, Court Clerk Ibrahim Ibrahim was suspended without pay for four months after admitting that he received part of the money collected as a bribe.
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The commission also ordered the compulsory retirement of the Acting Director of Information and Statistics at the Shari’a Court of Appeal, Muzambilu Ado, after the Establishment Committee uncovered serious irregularities in his academic records.
The findings included the alteration of his academic credentials and his admission into the Nigerian Law School without the commission’s approval.
Meanwhile, the Presiding Judge of the Upper Shari’a Court in Goron Dutse, Usman Haruna Usman, was demoted by one grade level for negligence after allowing proceeds from the sale of estate property to be paid into the personal bank account of a court official, thereby exposing litigants’ funds to possible misuse.
The commission also upheld its earlier decision recalling him from judicial duties for one year and issued him a strong warning.
In another disciplinary case, the commission cautioned the Presiding Judge of the Upper Shari’a Court in Kasuwa, Abdullahi Wayya, over his handling of bail proceedings in Case No. CR/172/2022 between the Commissioner of Police and Muhammad Kadawa.
He was found negligent for failing to properly supervise the bail process, leading to the release of the defendant without adequate verification of the title documents presented as a bail bond.
The commission further directed that Inspector Shehu Adamu be reported to the Kano State Commissioner of Police for investigation and possible disciplinary action after determining that he misled the court by assuring it that all bail conditions had been met before the defendant was released.
It also instructed the Judiciary Public Complaints Committee to carry out a detailed investigation into the roles played by Registrar (Records), Salmanu Zubairu, and Finance Registrar, Ahmad Kabir, in the processing of the bail documents connected to the same case.
The commission reiterated its resolve to uphold discipline, professionalism and ethical standards across the Kano State Judiciary, stressing that judicial officers and court personnel must conduct themselves in ways that strengthen public trust in the justice system.
It warned that acts of corruption, misconduct or abuse of office would continue to attract appropriate sanctions.