The Kano State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has dismissed a court clerk and demoted two judicial officers over allegations of forgery, bribery, and financial misconduct, in a decisive move to restore discipline and integrity within the state judiciary.
In a statement signed by the Commission’s spokesperson, Baba Jibo Ibrahim, the JSC said the actions followed its adoption of the recommendations of the Judiciary Public Complaints Committee (JPCC), which investigated several petitions and complaints against judicial personnel.
The statement reads, “Salim Umar, a clerk with the Upper Shari’a Court, Rijiyar Lemo, was dismissed from service after being found guilty of forgery, falsification of court records, and demanding bribes from litigants.”
The Commission described his conduct as gross misconduct and ordered his immediate dismissal.
Two other officers — Alkali Shamsu Maul’ainaini, Presiding Judge of the Upper Shari’a Court, Durbunde, and Isa Yuguda Wudilawa, Principal Registrar at the Magistrate Court, Zungeru Complex — were demoted for various acts of financial impropriety.
Wudilawa was found to have diverted official funds into his personal account, violating public service rules. He was demoted from Grade Level 12 to Grade Level 10, in line with Section 04305 of the Kano State Civil Service Rules.
Similarly, Maul’ainaini was punished for removing court records and exceeding his jurisdiction. He was demoted from presiding judge to the registrar cadre, stripped of all judicial functions, and issued a formal warning.
The Commission also announced sanctions against several other judicial officers for lesser offences. Alkali Ibrahim Isah Usman, Presiding Judge of Bebeji Shari’a Court, was cautioned and had his promotion withheld for a year for executing judgment before the 30-day appeal window expired.
In another case, Alkali Munzali Tanko (Rtd.), a retired judge of the Upper Shari’a Court, Post Office, was found to have continued sitting in court nine days after his retirement. The JSC described his actions as unethical and ordered that the misconduct be made public as a deterrent to others.
Other disciplinary actions included a stern warning to Magistrate Halima A.B. Wali for failing to observe due process in a criminal case, and a three-month half-salary sanction for His Worship Abdul’aziz M. Habib, who was penalised for disregarding official directives.
Meanwhile, the Commission commended Alkali Ali Jibrin Danzaki, Presiding Judge of the Upper Shari’a Court, Rijiyar Lemo, for exposing his clerk’s fraudulent activities, calling his action “exemplary and worthy of emulation.”
Reaffirming its commitment to accountability, the JSC stated: “The Kano State Judicial Service Commission remains fully committed to upholding discipline, transparency, and ethical standards within the judiciary. Misconduct at any level will not be condoned, and any staff found wanting will face appropriate sanctions.”
The disciplinary measures form part of the Commission’s broader effort to strengthen public confidence and restore credibility in the state’s judicial system.
