Bauchi State Governor, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to revitalising and strengthening the judicial system to ensure efficient and accessible justice delivery across the state.
He made the reiteration at the 2025/2026 Legal Year Commencement Ceremony held at the State High Court Complex in Bauchi on Tuesday.
Speaking at the occasion through his Deputy, Rt Hon Muhammad Awwal Jatau, the Governor stated that the State Government places a high priority on justice sector reforms as part of its efforts to promote good governance and uphold the rule of law.
He noted that a functional and well-equipped judiciary is essential for maintaining peace, protecting citizens’ rights, and ensuring accountability in society.
According to him, the government would continue to invest in judicial infrastructure, training and enhance the welfare of judicial officers to strengthen public confidence in the system.
He added that the executive arm remains committed to deepening collaboration with the judiciary to fast-track ongoing reforms and address institutional challenges affecting justice delivery.
The governor also commended the judiciary for its continuous support to the administration and that his administration would continue to accord the justice system all the attention it requires for sustainable growth and development.
Bala Mohammed said that the three arms of government in the state had been working harmoniously and in synergy without compromising their constitutional autonomy.
Earlier in her remarks, the State Chief Judge, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar, lamented the recurrent practice of arraigning suspects in court without proper preliminary investigations.
She added that in many cases, efforts to gather evidence were only initiated after the trial had begun, stating that, “This backward approach to criminal prosecution significantly delays the process and undermines the delivery of justice.
“It is unacceptable that in 2025, we continue to see such practices, which contributed to the overwhelming backlog of cases in our courts and ultimately eroded public confidence in the justice system.
“To resolve this and other identified lapses, a Committee was set up to review the Bauchi state Administration of Criminal Justice Law and come up with a Draft Law that will stand the test of time.”
She, however, affirmed that any lawyer who didn’t adhere to the prescribed dress code for legal practitioners in the state would not be permitted to appear in court, adding that such a disregard for professional decorum undermined the prestige and global respect that the legal profession commands.
The Chief Judge, however, commended Governor Bala Mohammed for leading the administration in supporting the judiciary as an arm of democratic governance.
She particularly commended the governor for his untiring efforts, particularly in the areas of human capital development and a conducive working environment, urging for more.
Umar emphasised the need to maintain the spirit to ensure that the rule of law was adequately adhered to in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended and other relevant legislations.
In its presentation through the State Attorneys-General and Commissioner of Justice, Hassan Usman El-Yaqub SAN, Ministry of Justice disclosed that it recorded a total of 75 homicide cases, 28 kidnapping cases and 86 cases of rape in the 2024-2025 legal year.
He said, “In criminal cases from January to date, we received a total of 91 robbery cases, as against last year, which was 83, and we received 75 homicide cases.
“We were served with motions for bail and other motions totalling about 256, and we received about 86 rape cases and 28 kidnapping cases.
“In total, we received a total number of 592 criminal cases and out of this number, 97 have been disposed of, 15 were discharged through legal advice, and 454 are pending.”
According to him, given the high volume of cases recorded, the Ministry developed strategies to fast-track prosecutions in line with the administration of criminal justice law that emphasised speedy trials by setting timelines for filing charges in court and proceeding.
While explaining that Governor Bala Mohammed approved the release of N7.8 million for the purchase of law and other practice books for their library, Usman added that Mohammed also approved the release of monthly funds to settle all outstanding judgment debts owed by the state government.
He appreciated the governor for his benevolence, unwavering commitment and exceptional support for the Ministry of Justice in the state.
The annual legal celebration for High Court Judges, Khadis of the Sharia Courts, members of the Bar and the Bench, as well as other Judicial workers in the State, serves as the commencement of a new legal year.
During the annual celebration, the State Chief Judge usually outlines the many developmental strides and achievements of the judiciary arm in the preceding year.
At the end of the Legal Year opening Ceremony, a newly completed Magistrate Court Complex named after the Governor, Sen Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, was officially commissioned.
