UNICEF Trains Sharia Judges, Hisbah On Child Rights Law

Sharia Court judges in Kano and the Hisbah Board, otherwise called the Shari’a Police, are being trained by UNICEF, with support from the European Union on the proper implementation of the new Kano State Child Protection Law.

The three day-workshop holding for Shari’a Court Judges and the Hisbah beginning on Tuesday, is organised to increase the knowledge of the stakeholders and their ability to implement it.

Addressing newsmen on the programme, the facilitator of the workshop, Prof Muhammad Tabiu, said the law came into existence last year and the Shari’a Courts are among those listed to implement the laws in their courts.

He explained the need for them to understand the objectives of the laws as well as its parameters while attending to cases that have to do with children before their courts. More so, the Shari’a Police have a role to play and need to be trained along the same principles.
“This is for us to discuss with the stakeholders, increase knowledge and implementation of the Kano State Child Protection Law.

“We know that this law was passed last year and is about protection of children in the state and two of the major institutions that have very high responsibly for implementing these laws are the Shari’a Court Judges and the Hisbah, in particular, Shari’a Courts are listed in that law among the courts that are responsible for the implementation of these laws.

“Being a new law, is very important that the court judges and of course the Hisbah and of course others who are involved in law enforcement, know what are the provisions of that law, what are its objectives, how does it provide for the rights of children, how does it protect children, what are the various offences that can be committed in relation to children, which are the concern of that law, which are punished by that law, what kind of institutions are created by that law for its implementation.

“These are the things that will occupy us in this workshop for three days starting from today,” he stated.
On what they hope to achieve at the end of the workshop, he explained that they want a good understanding and appreciation of what that law provides for with regard to children in Kano State that will increase the skills of Shari’a Court Judges who are going to seat in the court and receive cases relating to children.

Speaking to newsmen on behalf of the judges, Abubakar Haruna, the chief registrar, Shari’a Court of Appeal Kano State said, “This is a very important gathering that touches on important aspects of the Shari’a in Kano State in particular and Nigeria in general. The issue of child rights is very important, the issue is captured in many of our statutes.

“Most importantly now, issues are being adhered to where legal luminaries and important scholars under the care of UNICEF gathered themselves and made this bill which was eventually passed into law.
“This is something that touches a lot of our facets of life. Children now, as we know, are important personalities to be taken care of within their ages, their weaknesses they are vulnerable in the society. We need to draw out attention to all the laws that will protect them,” he said.

Also, the representative of the Sharia Police at the workshop, Abdullahi Babangida, who is the Director Special Duties, Kano State Hisbah Board, described the workshop as timely as it will redirect the operations of the law enforcement agency as regards the rights of children.

“This workshop will enhance the understanding of our men on how to prevent the wrong ways they might be treating the child when they come across them.
“They will understand the implementation and principles of the child rights law and work according to the provisions,” he said.