The Niger Judicial Service Commission has fired three senior staff members and demoted another over alleged misconduct.
This was contained in a statement released on Monday, Hauwa Isah, the commission’s secretary, announced the dismissal of Mohammed Abubakar, Ahmed Usman, and Usman Isah, all from the High Court Division. Fatima Sambo was demoted by two grade levels.
The dismissals were attributed to serious misconduct, violating Provision 58 of the commission’s regulations. Mr. Abubakar was dismissed for refusing a transfer and failing to report for duty since November 2023 without leave or reasonable cause. In his response to a query, Mr. Abubakar admitted to serving as a personal assistant to a traditional ruler for several years. The commission exercised its disciplinary powers under the 1999 Constitution (as amended) during its 143rd emergency meeting on Thursday. The commission’s statement detailed the actions taken under Regulations 72 and 73 of the Commission’s Regulations 2018.
Ahmed Usman, a senior registrar in the probate department, was indicted for gross misconduct and misappropriation of over N600,000, according to findings by an investigating committee. His actions were found to contravene Regulation 58 (1) (III) (V) & (VI). Usman Isah, a principal registrar II attached to Magistrate Court 3 in Minna, was dismissed for being absent from duty without leave or reasonable cause for over six months, violating Regulation 58 (1) (III).
Fatima Sambo, a senior registrar in the probate department, was demoted due to negligent conduct and misappropriation of probate funds, as determined by an investigating committee. The commission underscored the importance of applying appropriate sanctions against errant workers to uphold the judiciary’s integrity and maintain public trust in the system.