The Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yola Branch, M. M. Tumba, Esq., has hailed Adamawa State Chief Judge and Chairman of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Hon. Justice Hafsat Abdulrahman, over the promotion of 458 judicial staff and the strict enforcement of free bail across the state.
Tumba, in a statement issued on Sunday on behalf of the NBA Yola Branch, described the measures adopted by the Judicial Service Commission as significant steps towards strengthening the administration of justice and boosting public confidence in the judicial system.
The NBA chairman particularly welcomed the approval of promotions for 458 deserving personnel across various judicial divisions.
The beneficiaries include Magistrates, Administrative and Executive Officers, Confidential Secretaries, Registrars and other eligible members of staff serving across the High Court, Area Court, Sharia Court of Appeal and Customary Court of Appeal.
According to Tumba, the promotion exercise represents recognition of the dedication and service of judicial personnel to the administration of justice in Adamawa State.
The NBA Yola Branch also welcomed the Commission’s firm position on the strict enforcement of free bail.
Tumba stressed that no judicial officer, court staff member or law-enforcement officer is authorised to demand or accept payment for bail.
He said strict compliance with the directive would help strengthen public confidence in the criminal justice system and promote citizens’ access to justice.
However, the NBA chairman noted that achieving genuine free bail requires the collective responsibility of the Judiciary, relevant disciplinary authorities, legal practitioners and members of the public.
He urged Magistrates, Judges and judicial staff to ensure that lawful bail conditions are not exploited as avenues for demanding unauthorised payments.
Tumba also called on relevant judicial authorities to maintain effective mechanisms for receiving, investigating and determining credible complaints, with appropriate disciplinary measures taken where misconduct is established through due process.
He urged lawyers who encounter credible cases of unlawful demands connected with bail to document and report such incidents through the appropriate channels.
The NBA chairman, however, cautioned legal practitioners against filing frivolous, malicious or unsubstantiated petitions against judicial officers or court staff.
He said complaints must be based on verifiable facts and pursued responsibly, warning that the complaint mechanism should not become an instrument of intimidation, retaliation or harassment.
Tumba equally urged members of the public to reject unlawful demands for payment and refrain from offering or inducing payments to secure bail.
He encouraged anyone confronted with an improper demand to report the matter through the appropriate channels.
The NBA Yola Branch said it would continue to support its members in bringing genuine complaints before the relevant authorities while collaborating with the Judiciary and other stakeholders to ensure that the free-bail directive becomes a reality in courts across Adamawa State.
Tumba maintained that cooperation among the Bench, Bar, judicial institutions and the public would help strengthen accountability, protect citizens’ rights, improve access to justice and deepen public confidence in the administration of justice.
The NBA Yola Branch commended Justice Hafsat Abdulrahman and members of the Adamawa State Judicial Service Commission for the measures and reaffirmed its readiness to collaborate with the Judiciary and other stakeholders towards a more accountable and accessible justice system.
