Niger Judicial Commission Sacks Judge, Demotes 2 Others

In what seems a sustained cleansing of the system, the Niger State Judicial Service Commission (NJSC) has dismissed from service the magistrate court judge in Salka, Magama local government of the state, Mohammed Bako Iya, for alleged gross misconduct and abuse of judicial powers.

Similarly, the commission also approved the demotion by one grade level of two sharia court judges, Abdullahi Nasiru, the Sharia court judge of Kotun Bola Minna and his colleague in Badeggi, Mohammed Baba Enagi for misconduct and abuse of office.

In addition to their demotion, they are also to serve a tutelage of one year in other courts to ascertain their readiness to change and conform.

The secretary of the commission, Abdulrahman Ahmed Garafini, stated this in a press briefing in Minna yesterday, saying that the decisions of the commission were taken at its 136th meeting on 21st March 2023 after consideration of recommendations by committees set up to investigate petitions against the judges.

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Garafini said of seven petitions, three were against the dismissed judge, and two were sufficiently proven by the petitioners.

He said, “According to the findings of the committee, the allegations in the petition i.e. interference, obstruction of justice and abuse of Judicial power against His Worship Mohammed Bako (the respondent) were sufficiently proven by the petitioner.”

He said the respondent (His Lordship Mohammed Bako) unequivocally admitted the allegations.

Garafini said the report and recommendations of the Justice Mohammed Mohammed-led committee also indicted Mohammed Bako for practically jettisoning his call as a judicial officer by representing and shielding a suspect, Saba Idris, from arrest by police and court.

He added that Bako was also indicted in a second petition that he used the powers of his office to intimidate and collect the sum of N400,000 from Fulani herders whose cattle destroyed his beans farm.

The NJSC secretary  said the committee discovered that Mohammed Bako was a judge in his own case and used the instrument of his office to facilitate a gainful benefit for his personal interest and private affairs, thus,  “the NJSC approved the recommendations of the committee and dismissed the respondent with immediate effect.”