JUSTICE HADIZA SHAGARI: An Uncommon Minister In The Temple Of Justice In Katsina

In the book, Nahjul Balagah ,it was reported that in one of the letters written by Sayyadi Mu’awuya (R.A) to Sayyadina Ali (A.S), he wrote that he will send soldiers with the heart of a lion. In his reply,  Sayyadina Ali (A.S) said he will send soldiers with the heart of a women. Sayyadina Ali (A.S) was asked what he meant by that, and he said the heart of a woman is more determined than that of a lion!

I can attest to this notion of the woman’s heart, going by various instances I came across in the course of my research as a journalist. I have for time immemorial realized that anyone who appears to be too powerful or too arrogant, women are usually the cause of their downfall or can teach them the lesson of life.

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Right from the time I started my career as a journalist, I have covered so many court cases which have over the years enable me to accumulate vast experience of the realities of life. However, in all the years of my career, I have never come across a judicial officer and a lady whose wisdom and expertise impressed me as much as Hajiya Hadiza  Shagari, a judge at the Federal High Court in Katsina.

I have witnessed many instances in which her actions and rulings on the basis of justice and fairness humbled many lawyers and indeed reduced them to mere learners in the temple of justice. In this little piece I will only cite two of such instances to provide a convincing justification. At one of such cases, a lawyer apologized many times, thanked and assured her that he had learnt a lesson and conclude with a phrase “we are always learning”.

In the court case between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the former Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Shema, the EFCC lawyer was furious and she kept cautioning him. At a point he threatened to walk out of the court room but she immediately addressed the situation by quoting a section of court procedures and threatened to invoke that section if he walked out of the court room. It was then that I saw how learned men were brought to their knees, as Justice Hadiza Shagari rendered that lawyer speechless by her sharpness. At that point I almost clapped my hands for her in court, in applause.

Secondly, in the case between Muhammad Mahdi Shehu and Federal Government of Nigeria, Justice Hadiza Shagari gave the floor to a lawyer but he kept talking repetitively. He explained a point and then explain it all over again, until everyone in the court room got tired of listening to him.

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Whenever she attempted to interrupt him, he would raise his voice. He wanted her to lose her temper but she remained calm. At a point the lawyer raised his voice so loud that from the first floor he could be heard at the ground floor.  She remained calm while asking him questions. Eventually the lawyer admitted that he acted unprofessionally and apologized profusely.

 The court audience almost burst into laughter and excitement, being impressed by her gentle approach and demonstration of experience in handling ugly situations. When she started lecturing him on court procedures and provisions of the law, he kept apologizing and thanking her endlessly while admitting her astuteness and his own lack of decorum.

Justice Shangri’s style of conducting court proceedings keeps audience of the court very attentive, no one falls asleep, because she makes every sitting interesting. She doesn’t compress rules and procedures and this is what makes prosecutors to be fully prepared before attending her court sitting. A lawyer confessed to me that, in her court, one have to read and research hard to avoid embarrassment.

Born in Shagari town in Sokoto State, Justice Hadiza Shagari did her O-Level in Minna and Kaduna States and proceeded to Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto (UDUS) and University of Abuja, Gwagwalada. She also attended Law school in Lagos.

She worked with the Nigerian Ports Authority, Lagos, from 1994 to 2005 before becoming a judge in 2006, starting from Abuja where she spent ten years in that capacity. Afterwards she was transferred to Lagos. She is now a judge at the Federal High Court in Katsina.

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One very impressive trait about her career was her decision to leave the very prestigious and lucrative Nigerian Ports Authority where she had served in the legal department, to become a judge in a court. Her close associates say she was motivated to take that decision by her urge to help people that are being treated unjustly in courts.

Women of high caliber are worth commendations for their contributions to humanity and for being role models in their professions. However this piece was also meant to encourage the younger generation to emulate Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari.

Danjuma Katsina is  publisher of : Katsina City News ,The Links News and Jaridar Taskar Labarai. He Can be reached via 08035904408. [email protected]

Disclaimer: This article is entirely the opinion of the writer and does not represent the views of The Whistler.

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