By Abdullahi Faruk
Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, Nigeria — Jan 11, 2026(Series News Online)
Under the visionary leadership of Attorney-General Dr. Junaidu Bello Marshall, the Kebbi State Ministry of Justice has emerged as a beacon of excellence in the administration of criminal justice. The ministry's Public Prosecution Department achieved unprecedented conviction rates, streamlined case dispositions, and fortified partnerships with law enforcement in 2025, transforming protracted trials into swift justice deliveries.
According to year-end data from the ministry's key departments, it managed a caseload of more than 800 distinct legal matters in 2025. This figure encompasses a wide range of activities, from high-stakes litigation at the Supreme Court to the initial legal advice that precedes a prosecution.
The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Lawal Hudu Garba (SAN), provided a detailed breakdown of the department's performance in an exclusive interview. "Our records from January to December 2025 show that the office received 84 case files for legal advice and contended with 383 separate motions for bail," Garba confirmed. He added that this was in addition to a significant prosecutorial workload: "We filed 135 cases at the High Court, managed 50 appeals at that same level, litigated 19 cases at the Court of Appeal in Sokoto, and represented the state in 25 cases before the Supreme Court." A further 17 cases were handled at the Federal High Court in Birnin Kebbi.
The DPP mentioned that a final count of all judgments secured is still underway. "The Office of the Director of Public Prosecution is still collating the precise number of judgments secured from all court levels. Data is also being returned from our zonal offices across the state," he explained.
A key part of the ministry's efforts is its specialized Gender-Based Violence (GBV) unit, which also reported a demanding year. The unit's head, Barrister Zainab Muhammad Jabbo, detailed its activities in a separate interview. "In 2025, our unit initiated 40 prosecutions before the High Court for serious offenses like rape and defilement," Jabbo stated. "We also managed 10 appeal cases and 4 Supreme Court cases, while also addressing 35 bail motions related to our prosecutions." She noted that the GBV unit is also awaiting final judgment reports from its network of desk officers in the state's local government areas.
Tags
judicial