Adamawa JSC Names 20 New Judges for High Sharia and Customary Courts

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The Adamawa State Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has approved the selection of 20 additional judges to strengthen the state’s judiciary and improve the speed and effectiveness of justice delivery.

The commission explained that the new appointments are intended to reduce the heavy workload on existing judges, clear lingering case backlogs, and widen access to the courts for residents across the state.

Out of the newly appointed judicial officers, 14 have been assigned to the Adamawa State High Court to enhance its operational capacity.

Those named to the High Court include Aliyu Bakari, Ibrahim Ulenda Musa, Daniel John, Aminu Sa’adu, Christie Ngbale Tarfa, Abdulrazak Adamu Abdullahi, and Mohammed Buba. Others joining the High Court bench are Mohammed Hammajoda, Sadiq Giwa, Musa Mijinyawa Bala, Shehu Uthman Mustapha, Umar Isa, Yakubu Ahmadu, and Japhet Ibrahim.

In addition to the High Court appointments, the commission approved two new judges for the Sharia Court of Appeal—namely Ishaq Abdullahi Jada and Abubakar Ishaku.

Four more judicial officers were also selected to serve at the Customary Court of Appeal. They are Awamem Medan Fwa, Dimas Elshama Gwama, Deborah Umaru Peter, and David Benjamin Pembi.

According to the JSC, expanding the number of judges across the various courts is expected to accelerate case resolution and improve overall efficiency within Adamawa’s justice system.

Appeal Court Affirms Offa Robbery Death Sentences

In a separate development, the Court of Appeal sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, has upheld the death penalties earlier imposed on five men convicted over their involvement in the 2018 Offa bank robbery.

An official who monitored the proceedings disclosed that the appellate court dismissed the appeals after finding no merit in the arguments presented by the convicts, ordering that they be returned to prison custody.

Although the convicted individuals still retain the right to approach the Supreme Court, the official noted that the submissions made at the appellate stage were considered weak and unlikely to succeed if re-presented at the apex court.

Those whose death sentences were affirmed are Ayoade Akinnibosun, Azeez Salahudeen, Niyi Ogundiran, Ibikunle Ogunleye, and Adeola Abraham.

They had earlier been found guilty of offences including armed robbery, illegal possession of firearms, and culpable homicide.

A sixth suspect in the case, Michael Adikwu, a retired police officer, reportedly died while in custody before the trial commenced.

The convictions stemmed from the coordinated attacks on five commercial banks in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State in April 2018.

The incident resulted in the deaths of at least 32 people, among them nine police officers—two of whom were women—making it one of the most tragic bank robbery episodes recorded in Nigeria.

Justice Haleemah Salman of the Kwara State High Court had originally sentenced the five men to death by hanging after proceedings that lasted nearly six years and drew significant public attention.

Delivering a judgment that lasted over four hours, the trial judge ruled that the prosecution had established its case beyond reasonable doubt.

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