HON. KADI ABDULLAHI MAIKANO USMAN
Hon. Kadi Abdullahi Maikano Usman was born in Kumo town on 13th August, 1959 into the family of Chief Imam of Gombe (Liman Usman Bafeto) and hails from Gombe Local Government Area of Gombe State. From 1969 to date he started his informal education of Qur’anic, Arabic and Islamic theology under the tutelage of his late grandfather popularly known as Goni Abare and later from renowned Islamic Clerics such as Mal. Bappah Umaru Lule, Malam Goni, Modibbo Umaru Jarkum (Chief Imam Dukku), Malam Muhammadu Basakkwace, Modibbo Ahmadu Isa Jalingo, Modibbo Idi (Modibbo Idrisa) and Khalifa Modibbo Idi (Malam).
His formal education commenced in 1966 – 1972 where he attended Tudun Wada Primary School, Gombe and Arabic Teacher’s College, Gombe from 1972 to1977. He obtained Diploma in Sharia and Civil Law and LL.B (with specialization in Sharia) at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 1979 – 1982 and 1982 – 1985 respectively. He served as a corps member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at Legal Aid Council Headquarters, Ibadan, Oyo State 1986 – 1987. In the year 1988 he proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus and was call to the Nigerian Bar in the year 1989. He further obtained Certificate in Legal Drafting at the Institute of Advance Legal Studies Lagos, in April, 1992.
His Lordship joined Government service as Class Teacher in 1977 to 1979. With his call to Bar in 1989, he took appointment as a Higher Registrar in the High Court of Justice, Bauchi State in the year 1988and later joined the Bauchi State Ministry of Justice as a State Counsel and rose to the rank of Senior State Counsel II in January, 1996.
With the creation of Gombe State, His Lordship was appointed Acting Chief Registrar, Sharia Court of Appeal Gombe State from 1st October, 1996 until 1st November, 1997 when he was appointed Chief Registrar of the same Court. On January 28th, 1999 he was appointed to the Higher Bench as a Kadi of the Gombe State Sharia Court of Appeal. In January, 2014 His Lordship was sworn-in as the Acting Grand Kadi following the retirement of the then Grand Kadi and subsequently sworn-in as the substantive Grand Kadi of the Gombe State Sharia Court of Appeal on 4th April, 2014 to date.
The legal icon has been attending Seminars, Workshops and Conferences both National and Internationally mostly organized by National Judicial Institute (NJI) Abuja, from 1999 to date. He was shouldered with different ad-hoc duties and served as a Member of various Committees both at Federal and State Levels from 2000 – 2019 among which are: Member, Committee on the Introduction of Shari’a Legal System, Gombe State, 2000; Member, National Assembly, Governorship and Legislative Houses Election Tribunal, Gombe State, 2000; Member, Committee on the Implementation of Shari’a, Gombe State, 2002; Member, Governorship and Legislative Houses Election Petition Tribunal, Kebbi State, 2003; Member, Gombe State Qur’anic Recitation Competition Committee, 2004 – 2015; Member, Gombe State Amirul Hajj Team, 2012; Acting Chief Imam, Gombe Central Mosque, 1998 – 2012; Member, Committee on Zawarawa Marriage Scheme, Gombe State, 2013; Member, Technical Committee on Review of Laws of Gombe State 2013; Member, Judicial Service Commission 2014 to date; Member, Board of Governors, National Judicial Institute, Abuja 2014 to 2023; Gombe State Amirul Hajj 2015; Member, Reform Agenda Committee of the Judiciary in Nigeria, National Judicial Institute, Abuja 2017; Presidential Implementation Committee on the Financial Autonomy of State Legislature and State Judiciary, 2019 – 2023; Member, Courts Infrastructure Assessment Committee, National Judicial Council, Abuja 2019 etc.
Being a Jurist, His Lordship has presented many papers on different perspective of Islamic Law on many occasions within the Nation such as: “Islamic Law of Evidence” presented at the Zonal Workshop for Shari’a/Customary Court Judges in the North – Eastern Zone, Maiduguri, Borno State, June, 2001; “Islam and Morality” presented at the Orientation Programme for Nigeran Peace Corps at NYSC Camp, Malam Sidi, Gombe State, December, 2003; “An Examination of Islamic Law of Evidence and Matters of Procedure in Civil and Criminal Cases” presented at the Induction Course for Newly Appointed Judges and Kadis organized by the National Judicial Institute, Abuja, June, 2007; “Practice and Procedure in Matrimonial Arbitrations in Area/Sharia Courts” presented at the 11th Annual Judges Conference at Kongo Conference Hotel, Zaria, Kaduna State, October, 2009; “Judgment Writing: Style and Techniques” presented at the Induction Course for Newly Appointed Judges and Kadis organized by the National Judicial Institute, Abuja, June, 2016; “Relationship between Head of the Judiciary (The Chief Judge) and other Heads of Courts (Grand Kadi, Sharia Court of Appeal or President, Customary Court of Appeal) – Sharia Court Perspective” presented at a 2 day Roundtable for Heads of Courts organized by the National Judicial Institute, Abuja, April, 2019; and “Jurisdictional Issues in the Application of Islamic Law in Nigeria” presented at the 2021 All Nigeria Judges Conference of the Superior Courts – organized by the National Judicial Institute at NJI, Abuja, November, 2021.
The Sharia Court of Appeal under the stewardship of His Lordship the Honourable Grand Kadi, Hon. Kadi Abdullahi Maikano Usman recorded the following achievements:
i. Total overhaul and restructured the Sharia Court of Appeal, Gombe State, 2016.
ii. Issued Legal Notice No. 1 Gombe State Sharia Court of Appeal (Increase of Fees) Rules, 2016.
iii. Successfully enacted the new Gombe State Sharia Court of Appeal Rules, 2019.
iv. Issued Practice Direction on virtual sitting of the Sharia Court of Appeal during COVID-19, 2020.
v. Issued Practice Direction for the use of English as the language of the Court Proceedings in the Sharia Court of Appeal, Gombe State, 2021.
vi. Set up a Standing Committee on Law Report of the Sharia Court of Appeal, Gombe State, 2022.
vii. Successfully established the following Departments:
- Special Duties, 2022
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (Sulh), 2022
- Human Resource Management, 2022
- Research and Statistics, 2023
- Accounts and Budget Planning, 2023
viii. Issued Practice Direction on the operation of Islamic Marriage Registry and Islamic Probate Registry in the Sharia Court of Appeal, Gombe State, 2023.
Being a role model, His Lordship received many Awards from different Individuals and Organizations such as: “Certificate of Confirmation: As Yeriman Matasan Arewa Nigeria & Icon of Justice” presented by Northern Youth Council of Nigeria, 2018, “Award of Excellence: As Northern Achievers International Magazine most Innovative Top Best Run Shariá Court of Appeal in Nigeria 2017” presented by Arewa Media Publications Event Company, 2018, “Certificate of Confirmation: As Icon of Hope and Peace, Presented by National Youth for Women Empowerment and Education in Nigeria, 2019, “Certificate of Endorsement: As Anti-Corruption Crusader” presented by National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Anti-Corruption CDS Group (EFCC/ICPC), 2020, “Award of Honour: As Icon of Humanitarian Services & Community Development” presented by Association of Northern Nigerian Students (ANNS), 2023,“Certificate of Presence: As Icon of Humanitarian Services” presented by Northern Youth Anti-Corruption Ambassadors, and “Award of Honour: for the Contribution to the Progress of Islam” presented by Nigeria Association of Teachers of Arabic & Islamic Studies (NATAIS), Gombe State Branch.
His Lordship is happily married with children.