Kano Judiciary Retires 2 Officials, Suspends Court Clerk Over Bribery

The Kano State Judicial Service Commission has compulsorily retired two judicial officers, suspended a court clerk without pay over bribery, demoted a Sharia Court judge for negligence, and ordered investigations into a police inspector and two court officials over alleged misconduct.

According to a statement issued on Monday by the judiciary’s spokesperson, Jibo Ibrahim, the disciplinary measures were approved at the commission’s 90th meeting held on 3 July 2026 and chaired by the Chief Judge of Kano State, Justice Dije Aboki.

The statement explained that Hon. Alkali Aliyu Muhammad, Presiding Judge of the Shari’a Court, Babeji, was compulsorily retired after the Judiciary Public Complaints Committee found him culpable of bribery and corruption in a civil suit.

The commission also directed him to refund N250,000, said to have been received as gratification.

In the same case, Ibrahim Ahmad, a court clerk at the Shari’a Court, Babeji, was suspended without pay for four months after admitting to receiving part of the bribe.

The commission also approved the compulsory retirement of Muzambilu Ado, Acting Director of Information and Statistics at the Shari’a Court of Appeal, over alleged irregularities in his academic credentials, including the alteration of academic records and irregular admission into the Nigerian Law School without the commission’s approval.

Also sanctioned was Hon. Alkali Usman Haruna, Presiding Judge of the Upper Shari’a Court, Goron Dutse, who was demoted by one grade level for negligence after allowing proceeds from the sale of estate property to be paid into the personal account of a court official, thereby exposing litigants’ funds to possible misappropriation.

The commission also ratified his earlier one-year recall from judicial duties and issued him a strong warning.

In another development, the JSC directed the Kano State Commissioner of Police to investigate Inspector Shehu Adamu for allegedly misleading a court into releasing a defendant on bail by falsely assuring the court that all bail conditions had been met.

It also ordered the Judiciary Public Complaints Committee to investigate two court officials—Salmanu Zubairu, Registrar of Records, and Ahmad Kabir, Finance Registrar—over their roles in the handling of the bail documents.

Meanwhile, the commission reversed the earlier recall of Hon. Alkali Umar Sunusi Danbaba after reviewing additional documents. It ordered his reinstatement with effect from 3 July, restoring his full salary, entitlements and judicial responsibilities.

The commission said the sanctions underscored its commitment to upholding integrity, accountability and ethical standards in the administration of justice, warning that acts of corruption, misconduct and abuse of office would continue to attract appropriate disciplinary action.