The Magistrate Court judge in Salka, Magama Local Government Area of Niger State, Mohammed Bako Iya, has been fired by the state’s Judicial Service Commission with immediate effect.
The Secretary of the commission, Abdulrahman Garafini, made this known in Minna on Wednesday, noting that the decision was taken at the Commission’s 136th meeting on March 21, 2023, after consideration of the recommendations of the Justice Mohammed Mohammed-led committee set up to look into petitions against judges.
Garafini stated that out of seven petitions, three were against Iya, and two were sufficiently proved by the petitioners before the judge unequivocally admitted the allegations.
Iya was said to have set aside his duties in the judiciary by representing and shielding a suspect, Saba Idris, from arrest by police and court, tantamount to gross misconduct and abuse of judicial power.
”It was further discovered that Mohammed Bako was a judge in his own case and used the instrument of his office to facilitate a gainful benefit for his personal interest and private affairs, hence, the NJSC approved the committee’s recommendations and dismissed the respondent with immediate effect,” he said.
Meanwhile, the commission also demoted two sharia court judges by one grade level over misconduct and abuse of office, and both are to serve a tutelage of one year in other courts.
They are Abdullahi Nasiru, the Sharia Judge of Kotun Bola Minna and his colleague in Badeggi, Mohammed Baba Enagi.