Three magistrate judges, including Chief Magistrate Talatu Makama of Magistrate Court No. 29, Senior Magistrate Rabi Abdulkadir of Magistrate Court No. 48 and Chief Magistrate Tijjani Saleh Minjibir with Magistrate Court No. 60, have been sanctioned by Kano State Judicial Service Commission, News About Nigeria reports.
The Commission disclosed this in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Baba Jibo Ibrahim, on Monday.
He noted that the magistrates were recalled from the bench and relieved of all judicial duties as disciplinary action for alleged misconduct.
Jibo noted that the Commission issued a strong warning to Senior Registrar Abdu Nasir with the Appeals Department of the High Court and deferred his promotion for one year.
It was gathered that the disciplinary action was taken at the 72nd meeting held on June 11, 2024.
“The Kano State Judicial Service Commission, at it’s 72nd meeting held on the 11th June 2024, has taken disciplinary actions against Chief Magistrate Talatu Makama, magistrate Court No. 29, Senior Magistrate Rabi Abdulkadir, magistrate Court No. 48 and Senior Registrar Abdu Nasir of the Appeal Section, High Court Kano.
“Sequel to the findings of the Judiciary Public Complaints Committee ( JPCC ) in respect to three petitions filed and investigated against Chief Magistrate Talatu Makama, the commission has adopted the recommendations of the JPCC, which conducted a thorough investigation on the matters and equally examined the chief magistrate’s response and came up with the findings that her actions amount to gross- misconduct, i.e., making an order to GT Bank to transfer money in the petitioner’s account already frozen into her personal account, which she clearly admitted in her response.
“The JPCC in the second petition also found elements amounting to judicial bias in handling matters by the chief magistrate, while in the third petition, her conduct was despicable of a judicial officer, where her worship was found receiving cases and making an order to the police even before the case was directed to her. Chief Magistrate Talatu Makama is recalled from the bench and relieved of all judicial duties effective immediately.
“Following the review of the circumstances surrounding the handling of the case between Commissioner of Police vs Abubakar Salisu by Rabi Abdulkadir, Senior Magistrate Court No. 48, the Commission found the actions of the Senior Magistrate to amount to Judicial recklessness and therefore the Commission has resolved to recall the Magistrate and relieved her from judicial duties for a period of one calendar year. She has been instructed to cease all duties at Magistrate Court No. 48,” the statement reads in part.
According to Ibrahim, the JSC also considered the investigation report on the alleged misconduct of Senior Registrar Abdu Nasir of the Appeals Department of the High Court and added that the report confirmed that Mr. Nasir received payments of fees meant for court records into his personal account, which constitutes serious misconduct.
The commission restated that it will continue to apply the appropriate sanctions against any erring staff, particularly those saddled with judicial responsibilities, to safeguard the integrity and accountability of the judicial system and maintain the confidence of the public.
