Nasarawa State’s Judicial Service Commission dissolves Area Courts

Nasarawa State’s Judicial Service Commission has approved the immediate dissolution of all Inspectorate and Area Courts in the state.

Mr Yakubu Shafa, the Commission’s Secretary made the decision known on Friday in Lafia.

He told a news conference that the decision was taken on Thursday, Aug. 18 at a meeting chaired by the commission’s Chairperson, Justice Aisha Basir-Aliyu, the Chief Judge of the state.

The Commission directed judges of the affected courts to stop sitting on any case and to await further directives on their new postings.

He said based on the Nasarawa State Legal Notice of 2022, which repealed the state’s Customary and Area Courts, the commission assumes full responsibility of recruiting, posting, promotion and discipline of judiciary staff.

“Nobody will lose his or her job; the commission will only redeploy all judges and other staff to new places.

“The commission will make sure that only legal practitioners are posted to man the Area Courts in line with the existing law,’’ Shafa said.

He added that Thursday’s meeting also lifted the ban on the conversion and upgrade of staff who had acquired additional and relevant qualification to higher salary grade levels.

He also told newsmen that 234 employees of the commission, those of the High Court of Justice and the Sharia Court of Appeal were converted to various cadres.

Shafa added that 99 employees were also promoted for the July 2022 quarter.

The secretary said the commission recommended a severe reprimand of the Chief Registrar of the Customary Court of Appeal for his failure to release a copy of judgment delivered since Aug. 5, 2021.