Kano Dismisses State Counsel Over Forgery, Misconduct

The Kano State Ministry of Justice has dismissed a state counsel, Mustapha Nura-Muhammad, over allegations of forgery, abuse of office and gross misconduct.

The development was disclosed on Saturday by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Abubakar Tijjani-Ibrahim.

The dismissal was approved by the Kano State Civil Service Commission on April 1 following recommendations by the Senior Staff Promotion and Disciplinary Committee.

Tijjani-Ibrahim said investigations revealed that the lawyer, who was employed in 2024, allegedly forged the names and signatures of senior legal officers to issue unauthorised legal advice in criminal cases before the courts.

One of the cases cited involved Commissioner of Police v. Umar Abubakar, pending before the Chief Magistrate Court in Gyadi-Gyadi over alleged armed robbery.

According to the ministry, findings showed that the dismissed officer allegedly forged the name and signature of a senior lawyer, F.T. Ahmad, to issue legal advice intended to implicate an individual said to have no connection to the case, leading to the person’s arrest and detention.

The statement noted that the officer was initially queried and later suspended pending disciplinary proceedings before the matter was referred to the disciplinary committee.

The committee subsequently recommended his dismissal for serious misconduct under Section 4, Rule 04406 of the Kano State Civil Service Rules.

The ministry stated that the action reflected the commitment of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration to accountability, discipline and professionalism within the justice sector.

Reacting to the development, the Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Abdulkarim Kabiru-Maude, said the ministry would not tolerate actions capable of undermining the integrity of the justice system.

“Legal practitioners, especially those entrusted with public responsibility, must uphold the highest standards of ethics, honesty and professionalism,” he said.

Kabiru-Maude added that the ministry had commenced steps to refer the matter to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for possible professional sanctions and would also pursue criminal prosecution against the dismissed lawyer.