By Charles Suru
Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has directed the provision of official vehicles for magistrates and Shari’a Court judges and ordered officials to develop a sustainable salary and allowances package for them. The Chief Judge also called for additional High Court divisions to improve access to justice.
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Key Highlights
- Governor Bala Mohammed directed that official vehicles be provided to magistrates and Shari’a Court judges.
- Relevant officials and the judiciary are to develop a sustainable remuneration and allowances framework; an increase has not yet been announced.
- The Chief Judge advocated additional High Court divisions in Ningi, Misau, Toro and Azare.
- The governor said Bauchi had 17 High Courts and 33 Magistrate Courts.
- Attorney-General Hassan U. El-Yaqub reported new State Counsel hires and other ministry activity during the legal year ceremony.
Governor Directs Vehicles and Remuneration Review
The announcements were made during the opening of the 2026/2027 Legal Year at the Bauchi State High Court Complex on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Mohammed directed the Head of Service and the Commissioners for Finance and Justice to work with the judiciary on a sustainable remuneration and allowances package for magistrates and Shari’a Court judges. The work is to develop a framework; the announcement did not set out a new salary scale or say that an increase had already taken effect.
The governor also directed the provision of official vehicles for judicial officers. He said the measures were intended to improve their welfare and ability to carry out their duties.
During the ceremony, Chief Judge Rabi Talatu Umar called for additional High Court divisions in Ningi, Misau, Toro and Azare to ease caseloads and improve access to justice. The locations were presented as a request for expansion, rather than divisions already opened.
Mohammed said the state had 17 High Courts, up from eight when he assumed office, and 33 Magistrate Courts. He also cited the establishment of Small Claims and Family Courts as part of efforts to bring justice closer to residents.
The governor commended the judiciary for its working relationship with the state government and said cooperation among institutions had contributed to peace and stability in Bauchi.
Bauchi Ministry of Justice Reports New Counsels, Caseload
Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Hassan U. El-Yaqub said the ministry had recruited 10 State Counsels, following the recruitment of another 10 in the previous year. He said the additional personnel strengthened the ministry’s capacity to handle legal matters.
El-Yaqub also said outstanding judgment debts against the state had been cleared during the period under review. He reported that the ministry received 662 criminal cases, including robbery, homicide, rape, kidnapping, motions and misdemeanour matters. A total of 201 criminal cases had been disposed of, while 23 defendants were discharged following legal advice.
According to the Attorney-General, 412 criminal cases remained pending before the High Court and 26 were at the legal-advice stage. On civil matters, he said the ministry received 114 cases and reported 19 disposed of and 103 pending.
The ministry also vetted 219 contracts and Memoranda of Understanding. El-Yaqub said it generated and remitted ₦466,841,467.17 to the Bauchi State Government through its services between December 2025 and November 2026.
He further said 21 bills, a statutory instrument, and laws and Executive Orders covering 2019 to April 2026 had been drafted or vetted and gazetted. The government also approved ₦29,650,625 to sponsor State Counsels and private legal practitioners attending the 2026 Nigerian Bar Association Annual Conference in Port Harcourt.
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Measures Aim to Expand Access to Justice
The vehicles directive and proposed welfare review came alongside requests for court expansion and better infrastructure. If implemented, the measures would support judicial officers and residents using the state’s courts.
The proposals and figures were presented during the 2026/2027 Legal Year ceremony. For more updates, follow us on X.
