Justice Hadiza Ali-Jos, the incorruptible first female Shari’a Court of Appeal Chief Registrar

Justice Hadiza Ali-Jos, the incorruptible first female Shari’a Court of Appeal Chief Registrar

Hadiza Hamisu Ali-Jos, a prominent figure in the legal community, who has had an illustrious career spanning several decades has made history as the first female to hold the position of Chief Registrar at the Shari’a Court of Appeal.

Born on October 2, 1955, in Borno State, to Alhaji Baba Jimeta (one time Commissioner of Police in the North Eastern State) and Hajiya Jummai, she holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree with honours from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a Diploma in Law from the same institution. She furthered her studies at the Nigeria Law School in Lagos from 1982 to 1983.

After completing her legal education, Hadiza began her professional journey as a legal trainee with the Ministry of Justice in Maiduguri, Borno State, in August 1983. She was subsequently promoted to state counsel in August 1984 and senior legal draftsman in August 1986. In March 1987, she was promoted to senior state counsel.

Hadiza’s legal career continued to flourish as she moved through various positions within the judiciary. In December 1988, she became a magistrate grade I with the Borno State Judiciary. She served in this capacity until September 1989 when she was transferred to the Gongola State Judiciary (now Adamawa State) as a senior magistrate II. She held this position until May 1992 when she was promoted to senior magistrate I and transferred to Katsina State Judiciary.

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In August 1994, Hadiza moved to the Plateau State Judiciary where she served as a senior magistrate I until January 1998 when she was promoted to chief magistrate II. In April 2002, she was appointed as the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Shari’a Court of Appeal (SCA) in Jos.

She served in this capacity until August 2003 when she was appointed as the acting chief registrar of the SCA in Jos. In December 2003, she was officially appointed as the Chief Registrar of the SCA in Jos and held this position until May 2012 when she was appointed as a high court judge.

In addition to her judicial duties, Hadiza has participated in several administrative and judicial workshops organized by the National Judicial Institute (NJI). These include a course for new graduate entrants into the administrative services of the Borno State Government in August 1982, a national workshop for directors and inspectors of area courts/customary courts in August 2002, and a national workshop for magistrates organized by NJI in May 2003, among others.

Hadiza’s professional accomplishments are not limited to her judicial career alone; she has also served as a member of various election petition tribunals. In 2015, she served as a member II on the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for Benue State and as a member I on the House of Representatives Election Petition Tribunal for Plateau State. In 2019, she chaired the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for Katsina State.

Hadiza Hamisu Ali-Jos retired on the 2nd of October, 2020.

Her contributions to society extend beyond her professional pursuits; she is an active member of several organizations dedicated to promoting women’s rights and empowerment. She is also an advocate for education and has been involved in various initiatives aimed at improving access to education for girls in her community.

Despite her many achievements, Hadiza’s career has not been without controversy. In 2019, she returned $193,700 bribe money given to her by an unnamed contestant during the Katsina Governorship Election Petition Tribunal proceedings. The Department of State Services (DSS) issued her a receipt for turning in the bribe money. To date, it is unclear who attempted to bribe her as there was no investigation into the scandal not to talk of what action was taken against them for attempting to bribe a Judge and influence judgement.

As Nigeria continues to grapple with issues of corruption and governance, we must look at individuals like retired Justice Hadiza who has demonstrated integrity and commitment to their duties.

Her story should serve as an inspiration to young lawyers and judges alike, reminding us that hard work and dedication can lead to great things.

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