The Chief Judge of Zamfara State, Justice Kulu Aliyu, has directed the Grand Khadi to organise refresher course on application of criminal justice under the penal code for the Khadis (Judges of Sharia Court) .
The chief judge gave the directive on Friday during her visit to Mafara Satellite Prison in continuation of her official visit to prisons.
Justice Aliyu noted that the Khadis were delivering judgements based on the wrong laws, saying that this often times led to miscarriage of justice.
“Some of these Sharia court judges deliver their judgement as if they never read the provisions of the law and have no recourse to the principles of fair hearing and justice in the discharge of their responsibilities.”
The chief judge’s comment followed her discovery of cases of miscarriage of justice by the khadis in the course of her visit to the prisons.
A 30 -year -old Kabiru Ladan was sentenced to one year imprisonment for stealing a Nokia handset worth N1,500 and this case emanated from the judgement delivered by a Khadi
Ladan who had already spent five months out of his term, told the chief Judge that he sold the stolen handset for N500 and used it to feed his family.
The convict was given 20 strokes of the cane and was set free, because according to the chief judge, the offence attracts a maximum of one month imprisonment in line with the provisions of thel Penal Code .
Kulu Aliyu also set free one Aliyu Musa, convicted for stealing a sheep belonging to his cousin.
Musa said that he sold the sheep for N19,000 out of which N15,000 was recovered by the court and that he paid additional N45,000 being the cost of the sheep approved by the Khadi of Maradun Higher Sharia Court, Malam Mohammed Madaci.
He said further that Madaci also administered 50 strokes of the cane on him and sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment.
The chief judge then discharged the convict, directing the judge to report to the Grand Khadi in Gusau.
Kulu Aliyu also released the following inmates: Buhari Aliyu, Samaila Tsalha, Mohammed Lawali, Babuga Sajo and Aliyu Abubakar, a student of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda.