The acting Chief Judge of Gombe State, Justice Mua’zu Pindiga, said no fewer than 14,714 cases were filed in the preceding legal year with 10,271 heard and determined, while 3,028 were pending.

Pindiga made this disclosure on Wednesday during the 2021/2022 legal year special court sitting held at the Gombe High Court complex.

Pindiga, who performed one of his last official functions before his January 1, 2022 retirement, revealed that the bulk of the cases were heard by lower courts.

He said, “We have strived to perform our duties in the justice delivery sector in the preceding legal year with the total number of 14,714 cases, both civil and criminal, filed in the high, magistrates’, district and area courts and tribunals; 10,271 cases were heard and determined, leaving 3,028 pending and carried to this year. Most of these cases were heard in the magistrate and area courts, being the courts closest to the common man.

“The High Court heard 19 appeal sessions at Gombe, Dukku and Kaltungo, and of the 187 appeals filed, 96 were disposed of, leaving 91 pending, which are in addition to those brought forward from the 2019/2020 legal year.”

While enumerating the successes of the judiciary, Pindiga said out of 22 marriages conducted, 20 certificates were issued, stressing that about N48m was realised as revenue in the preceding legal year.

“Twenty-two marriages were conducted and 20 marriage certificates issued to deserving applicants needed for official purposes, international engagements and travels. In the area of revenue generation, a total sum of N48,455,599 was realised,” Pindiga said.

Also speaking, the Attorney-General of the state and Commissioner for Justice, Zubairu Umar, said the Ministry of Justice had development projects, ranging from the latest complexes, digitisation and the construction of a website.

“To meet up with modern digital development, the governor equipped 42 state counsel with state-of-the-art electronic libraries as well as the development of a functional website,” he said.

Umar noted that the administration of justice system in the state had improved tremendously.

“Nobody has sued the state government for refusal or failure to discharge contractual obligations; we have not breached any contract, because we are law-abiding. Similarly, no individual has filed a case before any court alleging breach of his fundamental human rights,” the commissioner added.