The Bauchi State Chief Judge, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar, has expressed dismay over the behavior of some Sharia Court judges in the state and therefore summoned nine Sharia Court judges to her office for possible disciplinary actions over perceived dereliction of duty, partly during her quarterly routine awaiting trial persons (ATPs) cases review at the correctional centres across the state.
The Shari’a Court judges absenteeism from their duties post which were under the purview of the state Grand Khadi, Khadi Umar Limanci, especially during the Chief Judge’s 2023 last quarter Awaiting Trial Persons cases review visits across the correctional centres in the state, has for the first time made the Grand Khadi joined the Administration of Justice Cases Review Committee to see the happenings for himself where incidentally the nine judges noticeably absent.
The absenteeism by the Shari’a Court judges during the quarterly exercise made reviewing the ATPs cases very difficult. Whenever a judge (s) is or are nowhere to be found to give explanations on cases before them, where the need arises, it virtually compounds the administration of Justice, a duty the Chief Judge is routinely carrying.
Justice Rabi Talatin Umar has during her two-day ATPs cases review visits to the correctional services of Ningi, Jama’are, Azare, Misau, Darazo and Bauchi custodial centres which ended recently, released 17 awaiting trial persons, and granted bail to three others, as part of her duties in the administration of Justice in the state.
A breakdown of the figures that regained freedom are eleven (11) from Bauchi Custodial Centre, two (2) from Darazo, One (1) each from Ningi and Jama’are, while two (2) and one (1) were granted bail from Ningi and Misau respectively.
The Chief Judge has, while releasing the ATPs, charged them to be of good conduct and character upon rejoining the larger society. She enjoined them to put their skills into practice, live happy, and warned against finding themselves back into any of the correctional centres.
One of the ATPs released at the Azare Correctional Centre was a 300 level student of the Bauchi State University, Gadau (BASUG), Yuli Campus (name withheld) who was apprehended for his failure to repay N34, 000 fertilizer loan he acquired from an individual in Azare, and whose father was well-to-do, engaged in oil and gas business in the township.
Justice Rabi Talatu, expressed disappointment with the father and therefore paid the N34, 000 debt on the student’s behalf and set him free, but the five-day apprehension has deprived from writing some examination papers. This unfortunately, means carry-overs for the student.
Also at the Darazo Correctional Centre, the Bauchi Chief Judge was informed about the efforts being made by the Local Government Council Caretaker Chairman to renovate one of the center’s structures for the admission of would be female inmates which the service in the town hitherto lacks, as well as the reactivation of the centre’s borehole by the Darazo council, which was commended and appreciated by the team led by the State Chief Judge.
Our correspondent who covered the two day event, reports that the state Chief Judge, during the two day visit to the correctional centers across the state, was accompanied by the state Grand Khadi, the State Comptroller, Correctional Service, representative of Commissioner of Police, Director Public Prosecution of the state Ministry of Justice, Director Magistrate, State NBA Chairman, Secretary of the committee and Judicial Correspondents among others.
