The Chief Magistrate Court 3 in Yola has ordered the Acting Registrar of the College for Legal Studies, Musa Chiroma, to pay N1 million in damages to a female lecturer, Mrs. Fadimatu Musa, after slapping her during a confrontation at the institution.
The court, presided over by Chief Magistrate Uwani Danladi, discharged Chiroma after confirming that he had paid the damages and met additional court directives.
Besides the N1 million compensation, the court ordered Chiroma to pay an additional N80,000 to cover the prosecution costs, issue a written apology, and provide a formal undertaking that he would not assault or victimize the complainant in the future.
The case stemmed from an April 15, 2024, incident, where Chiroma allegedly assaulted Mrs. Musa, who serves as the Assistant Chief Lecturer and Chair of the institution’s Task Force Committee for the Enforcement of Payment of School Fees.
The altercation reportedly occurred after she prevented a student who had not paid the mandatory fees from writing an examination.
Chiroma was arraigned on May 13, 2024, facing charges of assault, criminal force, and voluntarily causing harm under sections 244 and 219 of the Penal Law 2018. Despite these charges, the court struck out the case following Chiroma’s compliance with the court’s orders.
During the trial, Inspector Abubakar Nurudeen represented the prosecution, while S. N. Agaecheta defended Chiroma. The proceedings also saw participation from Mrs. Fatima Bello Raji, the Head of the Public Sector Committee of the Nigeria Bar Association Women Forum, who attended to ensure justice was served.
With Chiroma’s fulfillment of the court’s conditions, the case has now been closed, bringing an end to the legal dispute.