By Hassan Salihu
Leave no doubt, Hon Justice Mashkur Salisu, is a humble respectable young man that has carved a niche for himself. On Thursday, 13th July, 2023, Hon Salisu got an appointment as Justice of the Federal High Court of Nigeria at age of 38. Thus, achieving the zenith of his career by this well-deserved designation.
Justice Salisu is of high moral and intellectual value, the traits he exhibited within the span of his service period with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). His colleagues in ICPC have been vouching for his rich legal knowledge and excellent personal attributes.
Surely blessed with a first-rate brilliance, Justice Salisu always hits his targets in courts with greater precision that most jurists acknowledge with commendation. In the execution of his official engagements, he has so far never been found lacking in character. He has maintained a very clean and honourable path to having good fortune.
Justice Salisu has been a leading-light that always motivates his peers and close associates. He has never limited himself to what he thinks he can do or achieve alone, but open to partnership, networking and life-long learning. His wealth of diverse knowledge in law stems from his faith and feelings of ardent love for every person that he associates with.
In 2013, this priceless asset personality joined the service of ICPC and posted to Head the Legal Unit of Sokoto Office. He was later deployed to the Headquarters’ Legal department, where to a remarkable extent delivered on his assignments and meritoriously served as Special Assistant to the Commission’s Secretary.
He has so far prosecuted numerous cases for the Commission from various High Courts across many states, Court of Appeal and up to the Supreme Court of Nigeria; with several convictions, wins and commendable successes. His quality of honesty in the legal practice is exemplary, which has fetched him commendation for commitment and diligence in successful prosecution of ICPC cases.
Salisu began his career as a Counsel in the Chambers of KT Turaki & Co SAN (Former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs) Abuja 2010
and later moved to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria as Registrar. He also lectured at the Faculty of Law, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina, Katsina state.
As a born-champion, Justice Salisu’s gracious journey to prime is with an early start, imprinting his name in the sands of time right from beginning, he has steadily recorded genuine successes starting from the Overall Best Student Army Children Primary School, Gusau, Zamfara State 1997/1998; the Best Student in Arts and Social Science, Government Unity Secondary School, Malumfashi, Katsina State 2002/2003.
He was also laurelled with the 2008 Overall Best Law Student in LLB by Usman Danfodiyo University and also received numerous deserving awards in recognition of other academic accomplishments from the same University.
Subsequently, Hon Salisu graduated with 2.1 from the Nigerian Law School in 2009. He was also graded as the Best in his Master of Laws class (2015) with CGPA 4.25 from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State. In the same vein, this young erudite Jurist is about to roundup his Doctorate Degree(Ph.D) in Law from his First-degree’s alma mater.
The pace at which Justice Salisu explores his natural talents is amazing and crystal clear to people, that being so, he has been conferred with numerous awards, namely: Three Prizes of Excellence – Shell Petroleum Development Company(SPDC) Undergraduate Scholarship Award 2005-2008, ADDAX Petroleum Nigeria-Sao Tome & Principe Joint Development Authority JDA Postgraduate Scholarship and ICPC Merit Award.
Justice Mashkur has written over 12 scholarly publications in reputable National and International Journals on various aspects of law and attended several National and International conferences & trainings both as a trainer or a trainee on courses such as: Rule of Law, Anti-corruption, Administration of Criminal Justice, Advanced Prosecutors’ Courses and Investigative Techniques etc.
He is an active member of the Nigerian Bar Association and Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered).
Hon Justice Mashkur Salisu, who hails from Gusau Local Government of Zamfara State, is married with children. He enjoys reading and research as his hobbies.
As Hon Justice Mashkur Salisu takes the oath of office today administered by Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon Justice Olukayode Ariyoola, we all pray for his success on the Bench and continuous elevation to make ICPC and Nigeria proud.
Salihu, staff of ICPC Headquarters, writes from Abuja.