Yobe State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Saleh Samanja, has endorsed the regionalization of Nigeria’s Supreme Court, arguing that establishing regional apex courts would accelerate justice delivery and bring it closer to the common citizen. He also called for an increase in the number of justices to support the reform in an exclusive interview with Joel Duku in Damaturu.
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Samanja, a legal veteran called to the Bar in 1985, with a career spanning roles from State Counsel to Solicitor-General, emphasized the urgent need for judicial reform in Nigeria. Speaking in the Yobe State capital, he highlighted the backlog of cases clogging the Supreme Court, with some languishing for over four years.
“I totally support the regionalization of the Nigerian Supreme Court,” Samanja declared. “If you regionalize the Supreme Court, there will be a speedy and qualitative dispensation of justice at the apex court.”
He proposed establishing three regional Supreme Courts alongside the existing one in the Federal Capital Territory, where the Chief Justice would reside—one each in the Northern, Eastern, and Western regions.
“You don’t need to go to Abuja for a case if you can go to Kaduna, Enugu, or Lagos,” he explained, likening it to the Court of Appeal’s structure. He dismissed concerns that this would weaken the Supreme Court’s authority, asserting, “It’s the attitude of politicians that is the issue, not the number of courts.”
To enhance efficiency, he called for the appointment of more justices, noting that Nigeria recently achieved a full complement of 21 Supreme Court Justices for the first time.
On legal reforms in Yobe, Samanja detailed efforts to modernize legislation. “We have made significant progress in amending laws to align with current realities,” he said, citing the repeal of colonial-era statutes and plans to update the state’s legal volumes—a task mandated every decade. He emphasized that legislation is a continuous process to meet contemporary needs.
Addressing indiscipline among lawyers, the Attorney-General acknowledged its prevalence across all ranks but stressed the profession’s strict stance against misconduct. “The legal profession has zero tolerance for indiscipline,” he said, pointing to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee’s (LPDC) decisive actions, including suspensions and debarments, as deterrents.
Samanja also weighed in on plea bargaining, which was legalized under Nigeria’s 2015 Administration of Criminal Justice Law and domesticated in Yobe in 2021. While personally skeptical of its potential for abuse—“somebody can buy his way out”—he supported its legal basis, noting its role in recovering funds without lengthy litigation.
“If the state government is only interested in recovery… why waste time?” he asked, citing an ongoing case in Yobe nearing resolution. He clarified that plea bargaining is not an alternative to alternative dispute resolution (ADR) but a distinct case-resolution tool, defending agencies like the EFCC and ICPC for lawfully using it, despite controversy.
On insecurity, Samanja argued that legal measures alone are insufficient. “The issue of insecurity is the responsibility of everyone,” he said, pointing to societal pressures such as poverty as key drivers of crime.
He advocated for good governance and poverty-mitigation policies rather than relying solely on punitive measures like the death penalty for armed robbery, which he deemed ineffective. “The fewer social amenities you have, the higher the crime rate,” he observed, urging a holistic approach beyond legal sanctions.
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