Kebbi Reforms Justice System, Sets To Employ 10 New State Counsels To Handle Over 900 Trial Cases
Kebbi state government has employed ten new state counsels into the civil service to hasten the dispensation of justice in courts of persons standing trial.
The Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the state, Dr. Junaid Bello Marshall, announced this in Birnin Kebbi this Monday at a ministerial press briefing.
Dr. Marshall said the Ministry had only 27 law officers throughout the state at the inception of incumbent administration which was grossly inadequate and consequently, Governor Nasir Idris approved the recruitment of more lawyers into the system.
The Commissioner added that the Justice Ministry recorded 853 criminal cases, motions, bail applications and legal advice in the period under review.
Furthermore, the Ministry presently handles 80 appeal cases pending before the Kebbi State High Court as well as 70 cases at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
Also, 200 case diaries were vetted and forwarded to relevant Law Enforcement Agencies, of which few were terminated for want of evidence while majority of the cases were prosecuted.
Dr. Marshall was grateful to Governor Nasir Idris for approving the refurbishing and provision of furniture to the Attorney General’s Chambers, refurbishing and supply of updated research materials for the ministry’s library, purchase of 40 new PH Model Laptops for Law Officers, subscription of law pavilion and law companion application for law officers.
The governor further approved sponsorship of 10 lawyers into specially tailored programme for prosecutors resulting into Masters in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice by Abu Zaria, refurbishing of Attorney General’s Chambers at Argungu and Yauri as well as the upward review of wardrobe/outfit allowances for law officers from N13. 9 million to N70 million.
In addition, approval was given for sponsorship of law officers for the NIALS workshop on legal writing skills and research method, sponsorship of law officers for ICT training in Abuja, sponsorship of the Ministry of Justice and the Judiciary to attend the 2023 NBA conference in Abuja.
Other gestures were, payment of registration and tuition fees to Kebbi state indigenes at the Law School, sponsorship of workshop on application of the Kebbi state administration of criminal justice in Kano, provision of accommodation for new law officers and settlement of outstanding judgment sum against Kebbi State Government through favourable terms amounting to N1 billion approved by the Governor.
Before the settlement, 33 accounts of Kebbi State domiciled in 11 financial institutions were frozen but were now unfrozen while withheld certificates of students have also been released.
