Hon. Kadi Abdullahi Maikano Usman was born in Kumo town on 13th August, 1959 into the family of Chief Imam of Gombe (Liman Usman Bafeto) and hails from Gombe Local Government Area of Gombe State. From 1969 to date he started his informal education of Qur’anic, Arabic and Islamic theology under the tutelage of his late grandfather popularly known as Goni Abare and later from renowned Islamic Clerics such as Mal. Bappah Umaru Lule, Malam Goni, Modibbo Umaru Jarkum (Chief Imam Dukku), Malam Muhammadu Basakkwace, Modibbo Ahmadu Isa Jalingo, Hon. Kadi Adamu Usman, Modibbo Idi and Khalifa Modibbo Idi (Malam) etc.
His formal education commenced in 1966 – 1972 where he attended Tudun Wada Primary School, Gombe and Arabic Teacher’s College, Gombe from 1972 to1977. He obtained Diploma in Sharia and Civil Law and LL.B (with specialization in Sharia) at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 1979 – 1982 and 1982 – 1985 respectively. He served as a corps member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at Legal Aid Council Headquarters, Ibadan, Oyo State 1986 – 1987. In the year 1988 he proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus and was call to the Nigerian Bar in the year 1989. He further obtained Certificate in Legal Drafting at the Institute of Advance Legal Studies Lagos, in April, 1992.
His Lordship joined Government service as Class Teacher in 1977 to 1979. He also served as a Higher Registrar at the High Court of Justice, Bauchi State and rose to the rank of Senior State Counsel II in January, 1986.
He was appointed Acting Chief Registrar, Sharia Court of Appeal Gombe State from 1st October, 1996 until 1st November, 1997 where he was appointed Chief Registrar of the same Court and later elevated to the Bench as a Kadi of Gombe State Sharia Court of Appeal in January, 1999. In January, 2014 His Lordship was sworn-in as the Acting Grand Kadi following the retirement of the then Grand Kadi being the most senior Kadi and subsequently sworn-in as the substantive Grand Kadi of the Gombe State Sharia Court of Appeal on 4th April, 2014 to date.
The legal icon has been attending Seminars, Workshops and Conferences both nationally and internationally mostly organized by National Judicial Institute (NJI) Abuja, from 1999 to date. He was shouldered with different ad-hoc duties and served as a Member of various Committees both at Federal and State levels from 2000 – 2019 among which are: Member, Committee on the Introduction of Shari’a Legal System, Gombe State, 2000; Member, National Assembly, Governorship and Legislative Houses Election Tribunal, Gombe State, 2000; Member, Committee on the Implementation of Shari’a, Gombe State, 2002; Member, Governorship and Legislative Houses Election Petition Tribunal, Kebbi State, 2003; Member, Gombe State Qur’anic Recitation Competition Committee, 2004 – 2015; Member, Gombe State Amirul Hajj Team, 2012; Acting Chief Imam, Gombe Central Mosque, 1998 – 2012; Member, Committee on Zawarawa Marriage Scheme, Gombe State, 2013; Member, Technical Committee on Review of Laws of Gombe State 2013; Member, Judicial Service Commission 2014 to date; Member, Board of Governors, National Judicial Institute, Abuja 2014 to date; Gombe State Amirul Hajj 2015; Member, Reform Agenda Committee of the Judiciary in Nigeria, National Judicial Institute, Abuja 2017; Presidential Implementation Committee on the Financial Autonomy of State Legislature and State Judiciary, 2019 – date; Member, Courts Infrastructure Assessment Committee, National Judicial Council, Abuja 2019 etc.
Being a Jurist, His Lordship has presented many papers on different perspective of Islamic Law on many occasions within the Nation such as: “Islamic Law of Evidence” June, 2001; “Islam and Morality” December, 2003; “An Examination of Islamic Law of Evidence and Matters of Procedure in Civil and Criminal Cases” June, 2007; “Practice and Procedure in Matrimonial Arbitrations in Area/Sharia Courts” October, 2009; “Judgment Writing: Style and Techniques” June, 2016; and “Relationship between Head of the Judiciary (The Chief Judge) and other Heads of Courts (Grand Kadi, Sharia Court of Appeal or President, Customary Court of Appeal) – Sharia Court Perspective” April, 2019.
His Lordship is happily married with children.
