Bauchi Chief Judge gets royal commendation over quarterly visit to correctional facilities
Samuel Luka, Bauchi
The Bauchi State Chief Judge, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar has received a royal commendation from the Emir of Katagum, Alhaji Umar Farouk 11 over her routine quarterly review cases visit to various custodians and Correctional Centres across the state.
The monarch who gave the commendation over the weekend, explained that the action of the chief judge has not only speed up dispensation of justice but gone a long way in decongesting the correctional centres.
The Emir while quoting the adage ‘justice delayed is justice denied’ noted that the routine visits to the centres by Justice Umar has kept the various court judges and magistrates on their toes as well as instilling disciplines in their minds while keeping attention to their day-today judicial responsibilities.
The Katagum Emir informed the Chief Judge that her ability to undertake such a routine quarterly cases review visits to the custodial centres and taking of decisive actions in the judiciary have changed many things for the better.
He commended Governor Bala Mohammed for his recent pardoning of 153 awaiting trial persons from across various custodial centres in the state under the prerogative of mercy granted him by the Constitution.
Speaking earlier on, the Chief Judge had informed the emir that she was on a routine quarterly cases review of awaiting trial persons in various custodial centres across the state with a view to speed-up dispensation of justice to reduce congestion in the centres.
Justice Rabi Umar explained that during the cases review visit, her team also supervises duties of sharia court judges and magistrates with a view to make corrections where necessary, and equally release inmates who were unnecessarily kept awaiting trial without concrete reasons.
She said her visit to the palace of the emir was to pay him a homage, having been in Azare for official duties, and to seek the prayers, blessings of the Royal father, as well as advices from him in the conduct of her official duties.
The Chief Justice had during the visits to the custodial centres warned the judges and magistrates to always be around her visit to the custodian centres so as to shed more lights on the cases reviewing of awaiting trial persons so as to ease the review and ensure justice dispensation.
Also during the visit to the custodial centres, the Chief Judge released a number of 21 awaiting trial persons across the centres in the state, namely Ningi – 2 persons, Shira – one person, Jama’are – 2 persons, Azare – persons, Nabordo – 3 persons, Remand Home Bauchi – 2, and Bauchi Correctional Centre – 9 persons.
The nine released in Bauchi are Salmanu Rabi’u, Musa Yusuf, Rabi’u Abdullahi, Usman Babayo, Usman Abdullahi, Ahmed Alhaji Yusuf, Babangida Isah, Ahmed Rashidu Sani, and Nasiru Ahmed.
Justice Rabi Umar counseled the released persons to seek for pardons from their parents, and equally look for lawful things doing to fend for a living, saying ‘Any father whose son is incarnated in custodial centre is in jeopardy, and any child who jeopardize his parents would receive punishment from God”.
