ZAMFARA STATE LEGAL SYSTEM AND PROFILE

Zamfara State, with capital at Gusau, was created out of the former Sokoto State on 1 October 1996 by the military dictatorship of General Sanni Abacha.

Zamfara State is located in the northwestern part of Nigeria. It occupies a total land area of 39, 762km². It borders Sokoto and Niger States to the north, Katsina State to the east and Kaduna, Niger and Kebbi States to the south.

The population of Zamfara State according to a recent estimate from the National Population Commission is 3,278,873- Male: 1,641,623; Female: 1,637,250. The State derives its main financial capital from agriculture which employs over 80 percent of the population. Major agricultural products from the State include maize, beans, rice, corn, groundnut, cotton, millet and guinea corn.

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 maintain of the Local Government level of governance. Presently, the Nigerian Constitution prescribes14 local Local Government Areas for the State.

The Zamfara State legal system comprises;

1. The compendium of Constitutional provisions applicable to the State as one of the 36 States that make up the Nigerian Federation;
2. Laws made by the Federal Legislature applicable throughout the entire federation or specifically to Zamfara 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.

Sources of Zamfara 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 Zamfara State;
4. Legislations of the State House of Assembly;
5. Recognized customs of the people of Zamfara State;
6. Judicial precedents of courts with judicial authority over Zamfara State;
7. Local Government edicts.

ZAMFARA STATE BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS

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