Bauchi Hisbah Department Receives 4,923 Complaints in 1 year

The Bauchi State Hisbah Department, says it has received 4,923 complaints and treated 4,672 in the past one year.

Malam Aminu Balarabe –Isah, Permanent Commissioner in the department, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Bauchi.

Balarabe-Isah said the cases were of different types and categories formally lodged at the department by parties seeking amicable resolutions.

He said that of the 4,923 registered complaints, 27 were prosecuted in a competent court of law while 224 others were pending.

The Commissioner said most of the cases had been resolved through out-of-court settlements to avoid overstretching the courts and reduce its burden.

“Any complainant, who feel dissatisfied with our resolution are advised to approach the court to seek redress,” he said.

The department, he said, also recovered N1.8 million from defaulting individuals and groups, adding that it had been reimbursed to complainants within the period under review.

The commissioner said that N389,650 and N265,750 of the amount had been paid to divorced pregnant and nursing mothers for their upkeep, respectively.

Balarabe-Isah added that some N904,000 recovered from debt defaulters had been shared as inheritance to deserving heirs.

He lauded the state government for providing logistics to the department which enabled it to perform optimally, saying, “we would sustain the tempo.”

Isah, however, appealed for the establishment of the Hisbah Board, adding that, “establishing a board would further guarantee our independence and boast our performances.”

The commissioner also commended sister security agencies, community and religious leaders for their support to the department.

NAN reports that the Hisbah Department was established by the Bauchi State Government in 2007.

Hisbah, which is an Arabic word meaning “accountability,” is an Islamic religious concept that calls for enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong on every Muslim.

The Hisbah composed of government officials, enforcement agents and religious leaders is being supervised by committees composed of officials and citizens in the communities in which they operate.