Magistrates and sharia court judges have told the Niger state government to improve their welfare within the next 21 days or they will close all the courts indefinitely.

Their threat was contained in a petition they sent through Chairman of Niger State Judicial Service Commission to Governor Abubakar Sani Bello dated 1st March 2018 and jointly signed by Gimba A Gabi Chairman, Magistrates Association of Nigeria, and Muhammad A Dalibi Chairman, Sharia Judges Association Niger state.

The petition, titled “Letter of Resolution of the Congresses of Magistrates and Sharia Judges of Niger state", in which they raised seven points which they wanted the Niger state government to solve between the 5th of March and Sunday 25th March 2018 or they would down tools.

Their demands include provision of "armed security personnel to magistrates and Sharia court judges at our courts and residences" and the fulfilment of the promise made to "provide official vehicles" to these category of judicial officers "to assist us in the discharge of our official functions".

Request for armed security personnel by the magistrates and sharia court judges was linked to the recent abduction of a sharia court judge in Allawa who was detained for almost two weeks and only regained his freedom after a huge ransom was paid to secure his release.

They also asked that "the robe allowances and medical allowances of Magistrates and Sharia judges which are our rights should be immediately paid including the arrears of eight (8) years or more".

The aggrieved judicial officers also asked the state government "to honour the agreement reached with them on the 16th February 2015 and immediately take steps to review our salaries upward" adding that they also wanted "immediate implementation of our promotions as at when due also the payment of the arrears accrued therefrom".

They asked government to "comply with provisions of sections 84(2),(4),(7) and 121 (3) of the 1999 constitution (as amended) and the judgement delivered by the Federal High Court granting autonomy to the state Judiciary without any further delay".

In addition they requested for the resuscitation of the Ramadan and festivities packages "usually granted by the government which for the past three years has been stopped".

The State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice was not available to comment on the petition, but a senior official in his office said action had already been taken on the demands of the judicial officers.

"We received the letter last week and we have advised the governor accordingly. I can assure you that their demands would soon be met".