The Kano State Judicial Service Commission has ordered the compulsory retirement of a Sharia Court judge and the Acting Director of Information and Statistics at the Sharia Court of Appeal after they were found guilty of separate acts of misconduct.

The decision was announced in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Kano State Judiciary’s spokesperson, Baba Jibo Ibrahim. He said the disciplinary measures were approved during the commission’s 90th meeting held on July 3, 2026, under the chairmanship of the state’s Chief Judge.

According to the statement, Presiding Judge of the Sharia Court in Babeji, Aliyu Muhammad, was directed to proceed on compulsory retirement after the Judiciary Public Complaints Committee (JPCC) found him guilty of bribery and corruption in connection with a court case. The commission also ordered him to refund ₦250,000 allegedly received as gratification.

The commission also suspended the court clerk, Ibrahim Ibrahim, without pay for four months after he admitted receiving part of the money linked to the bribery case.

In a separate case, the Acting Director of Information and Statistics at the Sharia Court of Appeal, Muzambilu Ado, was also compulsorily retired after an investigation uncovered alleged irregularities in his academic credentials, including the alteration of records and irregular admission into the Nigerian Law School without the commission’s approval.

The commission further demoted the Presiding Judge of the Upper Sharia Court in Goron Dutse, Usman Haruna Usman, by one grade level for negligence after estate proceeds were paid into a court official’s personal bank account, exposing litigants’ funds to possible misappropriation. It also upheld his earlier one-year suspension from judicial duties and issued him a strong warning.

Another Presiding Judge, Abdullahi Wayya of the Upper Sharia Court in Kasuwa, received a strong warning over his handling of a bail process that resulted in the release of a defendant without proper verification of bail documents.

The commission also directed that Inspector Shehu Adamu be reported to the Kano State Commissioner of Police for investigation over his alleged role in misleading the court on the fulfilment of bail conditions. It further ordered an investigation into the roles of Registrar of Records Salmanu Zubairu and Finance Registrar Ahmad Kabir in the handling of the bail documents.

The Judicial Service Commission reaffirmed its commitment to upholding integrity, professionalism and accountability within the Kano State Judiciary, warning that acts of corruption, misconduct and abuse of office would continue to attract appropriate disciplinary action.