The Kano State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has taken disciplinary action against several judicial officers and court staff, including the compulsory retirement of a Sharia Court judge found guilty of bribery and corruption.
The decision was reached during the Commission’s 90th meeting held on July 3, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Chief Judge of Kano State, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by the judiciary’s spokesperson, Baba Jibo Ibrahim.
Among those sanctioned is Aliyu Muhammad, the Presiding Judge of the Sharia Court in Babeji, who was ordered to proceed on compulsory retirement after the Judiciary Public Complaints Committee (JPCC) found him guilty of accepting bribes in Suit No. CV/474/2024 involving Talatu Ibrahim and Muntari Abubakar Baguda. The Commission also directed him to refund the ₦250,000 he allegedly 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 bribe.
The Commission also ordered the compulsory retirement of Muzambilu Ado, the Acting Director of Information and Statistics at the Sharia Court of Appeal, over alleged irregularities in his academic credentials. Investigators found that he altered his academic records and secured admission into the Nigerian Law School without the Commission’s approval.
Another judicial officer, Usman Haruna Usman, Presiding Judge of the Upper Sharia Court in Goron Dutse, was demoted by one grade level for negligence after allowing proceeds from the sale of estate property to be paid into a court official’s personal bank account. The Commission also upheld his earlier one-year removal from judicial duties and issued him a strong warning.
Similarly, Abdullahi Wayya, Presiding Judge of the Upper Sharia Court in Kasuwa, received a strong warning for negligence in supervising a bail process that resulted in the release of a defendant without proper verification of title documents used as a bail bond.
The Commission further directed that Inspector Shehu Adamu be reported to the Kano State Commissioner of Police for investigation after he allegedly misled the court into believing all bail conditions had been met. It also ordered a fresh investigation into the roles of Registrar of Records Salmanu Zubairu and Finance Registrar Ahmad Kabir in the handling of the bail documents.
Reaffirming its commitment to accountability, the Kano State Judicial Service Commission said it would continue to uphold discipline, professionalism and ethical conduct within the judiciary, warning that corruption, misconduct and abuse of office would attract strict sanctions.
