In what many are calling a rare public show of judicial self-cleansing, the Kano State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has demoted a court registrar, reinstated two magistrates, and forced the retirement of a senior registrar — all in one sweeping crackdown on misconduct.
The resolutions were reached at the Commission’s 82nd meeting held on Wednesday, where findings from an internal investigation rattled the corridors of the judiciary
For a system built on trust and law, the latest revelations have exposed unsettling cracks beneath the surface.
According to a statement signed by Judiciary spokesperson, Baba Jibo-Ibrahim, Court Registrar Salisu Sule has been officially demoted by one grade level after being found guilty of multiple misconduct allegations — including intimidation, abuse of office, and public harassment, in no less than four separate complaints.
The investigation, carried out by the Judiciary Public Complaints Committee (JPCC), reportedly uncovered what it described as “overwhelming evidence” showing that Sule used his office to exploit and intimidate members of the public — all while acting under the banner of the judiciary.
Notably, this wasn’t his first strike. The Commission had earlier issued him a warning letter dated December 19, 2024, but fresh evidence triggered a harsher penalty.
“He consistently used the name of the judiciary to harass and intimidate the public,” the JPCC report noted, leading to his demotion with immediate effect.
Meanwhile, Principal Registrar Ahmad Aliyu Danmaraya, who was attached to the High Court Headquarters in Kano, has been compulsorily retired after being found guilty of a shocking forgery scandal. The JPCC found that he forged an affidavit, stamped it with the High Court seal, and faked a receipt number, all while knowing fully well he was not a Commissioner for Oaths.
“It was deliberate deception,” a source familiar with the case told this reporter. “He knew what he was doing.”
In another decisive move, the Commission recalled Alkali Mustapha Kiru of the Sharia Court, barring him from sitting for one year after it was discovered that he prematurely closed a case due to the plaintiff’s inability to present a witness — a ruling deemed legally questionable.
On a more lenient note, Chief Magistrates Mustapha Sa’ad-Datti and Rabi Abdulkadir have been reinstated and asked to return to the bench. However, the Commission issued them a strong warning to uphold “the highest standards of integrity, diligence, and professionalism” going forward.
The Kano Judicial Service Commission has drawn a bold line in the sand. Its latest purge, though overdue in the eyes of many, signals a no-nonsense stance on ethics in the judiciary — a sector already battling widespread public skepticism.
With multiple sanctions handed down, the JSC insists that its mission to uphold discipline and accountability within the justice system is far from over.
But for a weary public, the real question remains: Is this the beginning of true reform — or just another symbolic sweep under the rug?
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