KANO STATE LEGAL SYSTEM AND PROFILE

Kano State, with capital at the ancient city of Kano, was created on May 27, 1967 out of the defunct Northern region as one of the emergent 12 States of Nigeria created by the military dictatorship of General Yakubu Gowon. On August 27, the old Kano State was further divided to create Jigawa.

Kano State is located in the north western parts of Nigeria. It covers a total land area of 20,131km². It is bounded to the north-west by Katsina State, north east by Jigawa State, while its northern end is ringed by Bauchi and Kaduna States.

The population of Kano State according to a recent estimate from the National Population Commission is 9,401,288- (Male: 4,947,952; Female: 4,453,336) making it the most populous State in Nigeria.Kano State has a long history of commercial and agricultural activities which accounts for the State’s slogan as “the Centre of Commerce”. Its groundnut pyramids are part of the nation’s established folklore. The State is also home to the most ambitious irrigation projects in West Africa which ensure all year round farming. The result is that Kano State is also the most irrigated State in Nigeria with more than 3 million hectares of cultivated land.

Additionally solid mineral resources like gemstones, granite, glass-sand, gold, lead, zinc-ore, columbite, copper, rear-earth metals, feldspar, cassiterite, columbite, wolfram and clay are also found in the State.

Currently, the State owes its legal existence to the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As a State, it is constitutionally mandated to establish:

1. an Executive arm of government headed by an elected Governor;
2. a legislative arm of government which members shall be drawn from constituencies defined in the Constitution. Its activities are presided over by a Speaker elected by the members of the State House of Assembly which oversees the exercise of the State’s legislative energies;

3. a judicial arm made up of judges, magistrates and other officers that help in the administration of justice and related activities within the State. The judicial arm is headed by the State’s Chief Justice. Nonetheless, judicial pronouncement of the State’s tribunals are subject to the appellate review of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Nigeria, in that order;
4. and maintenance of the Local Government level of governance. Presently, the Nigerian Constitution prescribes 44 local Local Government Areas for the State; and

5. mobilize the powers of the State, the institutions and resources of  its arms and levels of government in order to secure a socio-economic environment for persons resident in the State and its other stakeholders to pursue legitimate goals in dignity under the State’s justice administration umbrella

The Kano State legal system comprises;

1. The compendium of Constitutional provisions applicable to the State as one of the 36 States that constitute the Nigerian Federation;
2. Laws made by the Federal Legislature applicable throughout the entire federation or specifically to Kano State;
3. Laws made (or deemed to have been made), by the State’s legislature;
4. Laws made by Local Government Councils in the State;
5. Customary laws or other customs of the economic space applicable under the operations of the Laws;
6. Judicial precedents of the courts of the State and of appellate courts with jurisdictions over its tribunals  like the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Nigeria;
7. Judicial precedents of federation tribunals like the Federal High Court, the National Industrial Court, Code of Conduct Tribunal, Investments and Securities Tribunal and so on to the extent to which their mandates allow.
8. Law enforcement institutions, law enforcement officers, judges, legal practitioners, judiciary workers, other professionals and persons recognized at various levels as part of the justice administration complex of the State.

Sources of Kano State Legal System include:

1. The Constitution of Nigeria (including its amendments and other laws it refers to expressly as having the same character as provisions contained within the formal Constitutional document;
2. Laws of the Federation of Nigeria;
3. Legislations of the National Assembly applicable to Kano State;
4. Legislations of the State House of Assembly;
5. Recognized customs of the people of Kano State;
6. Judicial precedents of courts with judicial authority over Kano State;
7. Local Government edicts.

KANO STATE BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS

LEGAL SYSTEMS OF THE FEDERATING UNITS OF NIGERIA – 37 STATES/FCT