Outgoing Niger CJ revisits his most difficult case

THE outgoing Chief Judge of Niger State, Justice Jibrin Ndajiwo, has described the legal battle between the current administration of Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu and the past administration of Abdulkadir Kure as one of the most difficult cases he handled in his 22 years in office as head of the judiciary.

It would be recalled that the Aliyu- led administration engaged his predecessor in legal battle with the arrest and detention of former government officials which climaxed in the setting up of judicial commission of inquiry to investigate award of contracts in the state between May 29, 1999 and May 29, 2007.

The outgoing Ndajiwo, while narrating his experience then as chief judge, at a special retirement prayer session organised for him by an Islamic organisation, Al HABIBIYYAH Islamic Society, in Minna yesterday said the political giants in Niger politics were then at each other’s throat and as a chief judge “that period was the most difficult in my 22 years in service.”

According to him, “there were cases filed. In these cases, they were at each other’s throat.
Virtually, all these cases, l have to decide them. So many things were said, there were innuendoes, and there was nothing people did not say. At a point, I was afraid not of the physical harm that will happen to me, but I was afraid that if I should go wrong, what God will do to me. That was my attitude and my guiding principle in handling all the cases at the period. I thank God that after the cases were disposed off, we had peace in the state and the peace has continued to exist till now.”

Justice Ndajiwo, who retired on March 29, 2013, described life in retirement as beautiful, adding that bowing out of service has brought him closer to Allah and that he has enough time now to read the Quran.

“Now I have time to sleep, wake up and eat and read Quran or go back to sleep. I have time to attend to my personal needs. I am grateful to God”.

While wishing those still in service peaceful and blissful retirement, he thanked the Islamic clerics that organised the special prayers for the honour.
Already, Aliyu has sworn in former First Lady, Justice Fati Lami Abubakar, as the acting Chief Judge.

Aliyu said the appointment and her consequent swearing in were in conformity with the power vested in his office under Section 271 (4) of the 1999 Constitution.
He said given Justice Abubakar’s impressive credentials as the most senior High Court Judge, he was confident that she will discharge her duties diligently without fear or favour.