15 Courts shut down over bandit attacks – Chief Judge

The Chief Judge of the Niger State Judiciary, Halima Abdulmalik, has revealed that the activities of bandits have forced four Magistrate courts and eleven Sharia courts to shut down.

While speaking on the 2023/2024 legal year on Wednesday, Chief Judge disclosed that the event was meant to renew the individual determination of Judicial officers to uphold the rule of law and to strengthen the integrity of the bench to do justice to all manner of people.

While her emotions betrayed her, she recalled the gruesome killing of the registrar of the Sharia Court, Ibbi Namaru by bandits

The registrar was reportedly kidnapped on the 11th April 2023 at the Court premises by the suspected bandits and was killed in the same month.

“I will not conclude without referring to the issue of insecurity in the state which has forced us to close four Magistrate courts.

“I also understand that eleven Sharia courts have been closed down as a result. Worst still, on 11th April 2023, Mallam Mohammad Namaru a Registrar of Shari’a court, Ibbi was kidnapped at the court premises by armed bandits.

“He was later killed by his abductors. May his gentle soul rest in peace” she said in an emotion-laden tune.

Abdulmalik called on the Niger state government to extend its magnanimity to the family and give the young children of the deceased scholarship for their education.

This, she said will not only help the family but boost the resolve to continue to unconditionally serve others their state and our country.

According to the Chief Judge, the judiciary in Niger state is, to a large extent, successful in maintaining its Independence and protecting its impartiality. She assured that the Judiciary will always strive to live up to its statutory responsibilities without fear or favor, affection or ill will.

She explained that despite the insufficiency of funds, the Judiciary under her leadership has made tremendous progress in terms of infrastructural development in the last year, starting by embarking on radical reforms, and massive renovations of five Magistrate Courts and six offices within the High court complex in Minna.

The essence of observing the legal year according to the Chief judge, was to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the work done and achievements recorded in the proceeding years, identify the challenges encountered and make projections for the future.

“As you are you are all aware, the Judiciary, being the third arm of government, is charged with the responsibility of dispensing justice to all manner of people in the society.

“Hence the adage that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man” Justice Abdulmalik observed.

Earlier, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Niger State Barrister Nasir Muazu, announced that in the past years, the judiciary had witnessed the legal community’s resilience and adaptability in the face of unprecedented challenges.

He pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced the legal community to rethink the way to deliver justice, ” pushing us to embrace technology, virtual courtrooms and remote legal proceedings”.