NIGER - The Power State of Nigeria.

The Niger State Judiciary came into being with the creation of the State out of the then North Western State on 3^rd February 1976. It began full operation as an arm f the government on 1^st April 1976.

 

However, there was a High Court in the then Niger Province even before the creation of Niger State. The court was established in April 1973 with Honourable Justice Mu’azu Muhammad as the acting Judge. He was confirmed a year later in April 1974.

 

The State Judiciary took off with three Judges viz:

1)     Hon. Justice Mu’azu Muhammad as Chief Judge.

2)      Hon. Justice Idris L. Kutigi (now of the Supreme Court) as Judge.

3)      Hon. Justice L. A. Awoniyi (of blesses memory) as Judge.

 

His Lordship Justice I. L. Kutigi also served as Attorney General and Commission for Justice, Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, side by side with his position as Judge of the High Court. He left for the Court of Appeals in 1981.

 

The present Chief Judge, Honourable Justice J. N. Ndajiwo was appointed acting Chief Judge on 18^th November, 1991 and became substantive Chief Judge on 18^th December of that year.

 

As of now, there are thirteen Judges of the High Court including the Chief Judge viz:

(1)    Hon. Justice J. N. Ndajiwo            - Chief Judge

(2)    Hon. Justice Oseni Oyewo             - Judge

(3)    Hon. Justice Adamu Gado             - Judge

(4)    Hon. Justice Fati L. Abubakar       - Judge

(5)    Hon. Justice Abubakar S. Abuja    - Judge

(6)    Hon. Justice Maria S. Zukogi         - Judge

(7)   Hon. Justice Christopher I. Auta    - Judge

(8)    Hon. Justice Tanko Yusuf Usman  - Judge

(9)   Hon. Justice Idris M. J. Evuti         - Judge

(10)  Hon. Justice Ahmed A. Bima        - Judge

(11)  Hon. Justice Aliyu M. Mayaki       - Judge

(12)  Hon. Justice Aisha A. L. B. Bwari – Judge

(13)  Hon. Justice Amina A. Wambai     - Judge

 

The High Court is composed of five Judicial Divisions as follow:

1. Minna Judicial Division
2. Bida Judicial Division
3. Suleja Judicial Division
4. Kontagora Judicial Division
5. New Bussa Judicial Division

 

The court sits throughout the year in these divisions.  Appeals are also held in the divisions on rotational basis.

 

With the coming of the office of Honourable Justice Jibrin N. Ndajiwo as Chief Judge, the State Judiciary has witnessed a lot of developments and achievements, some of which are:

1)      Computerization of the State High Court and training of its staff to andle these equipments in April 2002.

2)      The procurement of automatic recording machines to ease the hardship experienced by judges in recording cases in long hand.

These will soon be installed in all the courts.

 

With the introduction of Shariah Law in 2001, the Area Courts, which hitherto formed a division of the High Court, were made Sharia Courts and merged with the Sharia Court of Appeal.

 

The Magistrate Courts which form the other arm of the High Court are spread all over the Local Government Areas of the State.  There are thirty-seven of them.

 

Coming under the office of the Chief Judge and Judges is the Chief Registrar of the High Court.  He leads the Administrative Department of the High Court, which carries out the policies initiated by the Chief Judge.

 

There have been ten Chief Registrars of the High Court since its inception. They are:

1)     Alhaji Sani Mohammed (1976-1977)

2)      Alhaji Umaru Isiyaku Agora (deceased) 1977-1981

3)     Alhaji J. N. Ndajiwo (now Chief Judge) 1981-1982

4)      Alhaji Abdullahi Mustapha (now Judge of the Federal High Court) 1983

5)      Muhammad Umaru Alkali (now Judge of High Court, Kano State) 1983-1986

6)     Musa Dattijo Muhammad (now Judge of the Court of Appeal) 1986-1989

7)       Christopher I. Auta (now Judge of the High Court, Niger State)

8)      Hajiya Aisha A. L. B. Bwari (now Judge of the High Court, Niger State) 1991-1993

9)      Alhaji Aliyu Muhammad Mayaki (now Judge of the High Court, Niger State)

10)  Alhaji Abdulrahman Sayuti Alhassan (decease) 1998-2001

11)  Alhaji Muhammad Tank Salihu – 2001 (incumbent)

 

The Chief Registrar as head of Administration has under him the Litigation, Complaints, Finance & Supply, Personnel, Central Registry Departments and the Library.  The Litigation, Complaints and Personnel Sections are headed by Deputy Chief Registrars.

 

These Departments of the High Court assist the Chief Judge and other Judges in carrying out their onerous task of administering justice to citizens of the State.