His Worship, Emmanuel J. Samaila is a Judge of the Kaduna State Upper Customary Court.
He started his academic journey at the Army Children’s School, Shadawanka Barracks, Bauchi, Bauchi State. For his secondary education, he attended Government Day Secondary School, Bauchi, Bauchi State and Commonwealth Comprehensive College, Jos, Plateau State. Prior to studying Law, His Worship obtained two certificates from Nigerian Christian Bible College, a Seminary at Abak, Akwa Ibom State. He subsequently enrolled at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, for his LLB and proceeded to the Nigerian Law School for his BL.
He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2007.
His Worship began his legal career as a legal counsel at the law firm of Chris Okpe & Co, Kaduna State where he worked briefly between February – March, 2008. He then moved to the law firm of Yakubu Hussaini & Associates, Kaduna State where he also worked for a couple of months before joining the Kaduna State Judiciary as a Legal Research Officer at the Customary Court of Appeal in 2008. In May, 2010, he was appointed a Judge of the Customary Court, Kaduna State Judiciary. Since 2019, he has been presiding over an Upper Customary Court, Kaduna State in an acting capacity as an Upper Customary Court Judge (jurisdiction only).
He was the Editor-in-chief of the Association of Customary Court Judges, Kaduna State’s (ACCJKS) Research and Documentation Committee which published several decisions of the Customary Courts and the appellate Courts on customary law in Kaduna State. He is also a well-published researcher and has the following researched publications to his credit:
The Abolition of the Customary Court of Appeal in some States in Nigeria: Issues and Prospects
Non-Custodial and Non-Pecuniary Measures and Sentences in the Administration of Criminal Justice in Nigeria: A Case Study of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 (as Amended) and Kaduna State ACJL, 2017 vis-a-vis the ACJA, 2015
The Implications of the Mandatory Sentences in the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State 2017 (As Amended) on the Jurisdiction of Criminal Courts in Kaduna State
The Prosecutorial Power of the Police under the Kaduna State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2017 vis-à-vis the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and the Police Act 2020: An Exposition
Understanding the Dynamics of Civil Litigation in the Customary Court
Criminal Trial Procedure in the Customary Court. (This is originally a Paper he presented during the In-House Refresher Training Program for Customary Court Judges in Kaduna State at the High Court Complex Conference Room in 2018.)
Inconsistency in Quorum: The Implication of the Decision of the Customary Court of Appeal, Kaduna in the case of Aboi v. Aboi (23 June, 2020) on Civil Adjudication in the Customary Courts in Kaduna State
His Worship is active on LinkedIn where he storifies his experiences from the Bar and the Bench. He shares short notes on various issues in the administration of justice tagged “Lex Scripta”. In addition, he also posts some of his erudite judgments with updates on the subsequent decisions by appellate Courts. His mastery of legal research, legal reasoning and legal writing are not only seen in his decisions but also in his discourses, comments and several short articles he writes and shares.
He is presently the Vice Chairman of the Association of Customary Court Judges, Kaduna State. He is also a member of the interim Executive Committee of the Lower Court Judges’ Association of Nigeria as Secretary 1.
His worship spends his spare times reading, writing, watching movies and listening to music. He is a father of two lovely children.