The Kano State Government has dismissed a state counsel in the Ministry of Justice over allegations of forgery, abuse of office and professional misconduct linked to criminal cases before the courts.
The affected officer, Mustapha Nura-Muhammad, was accused of forging the names and signatures of senior legal officers to issue unauthorised legal advice in sensitive criminal matters.
Politics Nigeria reports that the development was disclosed in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Abubakar Tijjani-Ibrahim.
According to the statement, the dismissal was approved by the Kano State Civil Service Commission on April 1 after recommendations by the Senior Staff Promotion and Disciplinary Committee.
The government said investigations uncovered several acts of misconduct allegedly committed by the legal officer, who was employed into the ministry in 2024.
One of the cases cited involved Commissioner of Police v. Umar Abubakar, which is pending before the Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Gyadi-Gyadi over allegations of armed robbery.
The ministry alleged that Nura-Muhammad forged the name and signature of a senior legal officer, identified as F.T. Ahmad, to issue what it described as misleading legal advice.
Authorities said the action allegedly led to the arrest and detention of a person said to have no connection with the case.
The government also linked the dismissed counsel to another criminal matter involving alleged armed robbery and kidnapping.
In the case, State v. Tukur Lawan and two others, the ministry alleged that the officer forged the name and signature of B.A. Ahmad, a Chief State Counsel, in an attempt to unlawfully discontinue the proceedings.
Officials said one of the suspects in the matter, who had earlier been released from detention, was later rearrested after the alleged irregularities were discovered.
The statement explained that the Ministry of Justice constituted an internal disciplinary panel to investigate the allegations.
It added that the officer was given an opportunity to defend himself in line with civil service regulations.
“The officer was queried and later suspended pending the outcome of disciplinary proceedings,” the statement said.
Following the investigation, the matter was referred to the Senior Staff Promotion and Disciplinary Committee, which reportedly recommended his dismissal for serious misconduct under the Kano State Civil Service Rules.
The state government said the action reflects the administration’s commitment to accountability, transparency and professionalism within the justice sector.
Reacting to the incident, the Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Abdulkarim Kabiru-Maude, SAN, said the government would not tolerate acts capable of damaging public confidence in the justice system.
He stressed that legal practitioners holding public offices must maintain high ethical standards and uphold the integrity of the profession at all times.
Kabiru-Maude further disclosed that the ministry has commenced steps to report the matter to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for further sanctions.
He added that criminal prosecution would also be pursued against the dismissed counsel.
The Kano government maintained that public officers found guilty of misconduct would continue to face disciplinary measures as part of efforts to reform the state’s justice sector.
