Kano Chief Judge Wants Judiciary Free from Undue Influence, Interference

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

The Chief Judge Kano State, Justice Dije Aboki, has listed numerous challenges threatening administration of justice in Nigeria, which includes undue influence and interference from other arms of government.

Aboki, disclosed this at a 2024 NBA-SLP Annual Conference of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) tagged, “Administration of justice in Nigeria Challenges Reforms,” held in Kano yesterday.

She said, “in as much as we must engage in a candid dialogue about the state of justice in our great nation, the administration of justice in Nigeria faces numerous challenges that demand our immediate attention.

“On the part of the Judiciary, one of the foremost challenges is the issue of judicial independence. For justice to be truly impartial, the judiciary must be free from undue influence and interference from other arms of government.”

Aboki, added: “This independence is not for the benefit of the judiciary alone but is the bedrock of fair and equitable justice delivery to the citizens we serve.

“We must continuously strive to promote the achievement of this independence to maintain the integrity of our judicial system.”

She said as a pressure group, the NBA was not meant only to advocate for the interest of lawyers but, also to serve as a mouth piece for the Judiciary, “thus more should be done in advocating for Judicial independence and autonomy.”

She also described judicial independence, as another pressing challenge and the chronic backlog of cases in various courts.

“The saying ‘justice delayed is justice denied’ rings true in this context,” he stressed.

“To address this, we must adopt innovative solutions, such as alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and the increased use of technology to streamline court processes and reduce delays.

“Delays especially in criminal trials are of particular concern and frustrates the purpose of the creation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

“The effectiveness of the judicial system is also hampered by lapses on the part of lawyers. While lawyers play a crucial role in the justice system, there is an urgent need to examine some of these inadequacies with a view to addressing them.

“Some lawyers engage in unethical practices, including frivolous litigation, delay tactics and disrespect for court orders. Frequent requests for adjournments by lawyers, often for frivolous reasons, contribute to the backlog of cases and delay the delivery of justice,” she further explained.

In his speech, the president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Maikyau, described Administration of justice as the only prerequisite that would guarantee the coexistence of Nigeria as a nation.

According to him, “You can see by the theme of the conference, it is about the administration of justice, the challenges and the reforms.

You would all agree with me that emphases are placed on the need for us to administered justice to whatever we were doing.

“This became imperative because, justice is what would guarantee our harmonious co-existence as a people and even the existence of the country itself.”

The NBA President also stated that the administration of justice, “must also be a subject to reside in our consciousness and comes upon in everything we do at all levels of our existence, as people from family and up to highest level in this country.”

Speaking on the occasion, the Kano State Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Baffar Bichi, who spoke on behalf of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, said, “justice system is a cornerstone of any function of any society.”

Yusuf, added that administration of justice without fear or favour was the platform upon which the right of citizen of a country was protected, hence the need to ensure that it was upheld.