NBA Decries Enugu Chief Judge's Apathy Over Plight Of Lawyers In Nsukka Senatorial District
The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has decried the level of apathy shown by the state Chief Judge, Justice Afojulu Raymond, Ozoemena, over the plight of lawyers and litigants in the whole of Enugu North Senatorial District following the untold hardship following the refusal of judges to attend court sittings physically for over three years now.
The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has decried the level of apathy shown by the state Chief Judge, Justice Afojulu Raymond, Ozoemena, over the plight of lawyers and litigants in the whole of Enugu North Senatorial District following the untold hardship following the refusal of judges to attend court sittings physically for over three years now.
The NBA said that its members had boycotted court sittings for over two weeks now, following the .attitude of judges who force lawyers and litigants to visit their private homes in Enugu to sort out one problem or the other, without the Chief Judge reacting to their complaints.
Lawyers in both Nsukka and Obollo Afor embarked on peaceful demonstrations on June 3, 2026, after which they embarked on boycott of high court sittings.
The NBA spoke in a communique' titled, "Virtual Court Hearing In High Court Of Enugu State; In Enugu North Senatorial District And Matters Incidental Thereto," and jointly signed by NBA Chairmen in both Obollo Afor and Nsukka, Barristers Paul Odo and Christopher Agbo.
The communique' read, "The NBA Obollo-Afor/Nsukka branches, in view of the ongoing protest over virtual hearing in High Court of Enugu State in Enugu North Senatorial District and matters incidental thereto particularly as it affects legal practitioners, litigants and court staffs in Enugu North Senatorial District held a joint meeting on the 13th day of June, 2026, in order to review the ongoing protest.
"Arising from the meeting are the following key issues namely:
the Chief Judge of Enugu State, in spite of receipt of our letter on the 23rd day of March, 2026, and our commencement of protest in consequence of the failure to address our concerns has to this day not reacted in any way to the issues we raised; Implicated in (a) above, is a determination of the relevant authorities in High Court of Enugu State to proceed as if our concerns are worth nothing and ranting by senseless people.
"In view of (a) and (b) above, it was decided that our protest continues unabated across all courts in Enugu North Senatorial District, in view of the deliberate twist of the reasons behind our protest.
"It becomes imperative to state unequivocally that: apart from the fact that during our protest about two years ago on this issue that the Chief Judge of Enugu State issued a Practice Direction, wherein His Lordship, directed all judges to return to their respective judicial divisions and sit physically...
"Where the court is to resort to virtual hearing of a matter, it should be with the consent of the parties in the designated court room; and, the relevant judges. "Consequent upon this direction, courts resumed physical sitting, but however, shortly afterwards, the judges retreated back to Enugu, where some of them operated virtually and outside their designated court halls or from their private homes.
"As indicated in our letter to His Lordship, the Chief Judge of Enugu State, there is a complete absence of facility for virtual hearing across the courts under reference, not to talk of adequate facilities.
"The facilities deployed to virtual hearing on daily basis in all court proceedings by the relevant judges are mobile phones of court staff members, while sitting outside their court halls assigned to them.
"In some situations, lawyers volunteer their phones and power banks to see that the proceedings progressed. More worrisome, is that case files have been removed from court registries in the relevant judicial divisions to Enugu with the attendant financial burden on litigants, waste of time in accessing documents by legal practitioners and litigants in case files.
"Litigants are made to bear unwarranted expenses of funding the journeys of court Registrars or officials to and from Enugu, to obtain documents for their use and that of their legal practitioners particularly during proceeding in cases. "The same goes for orders and judgments of courts; the purported virtual hearing is characterized by frequent glitches or interruptions in proceedings arising from epileptic network with the attendant loss of valuable time by everyone.
"It is important for us to further state that the reason always adduced for resort to virtual hearing in the courts outside the judicial headquarters of the state and specifically in Enugu North Senatorial District is insecurity particularly on Ugwuogo – Opi road axis. "This argument with due respect is fundamentally faulty, warped and only intended to obfuscate the real issue, namely, the unwillingness of judges to sit outside Enugu metropolis.
"The Ugwuogo-Opi road or axis is the same road that court staff members, legal practitioners and litigants ply on daily basis to attend courts in Enugu Judicial Division and other courts outside the judicial divisions under reference;
"It is indisputable that Magistrates and court officials of other courts other than High Court of Enugu State are scattered across the state who are not only expected to attend courts regularly and physically but do so.
"While we are all concerned about security challenges, it is absolutely wrong and unsustainable to expect legal practitioners and litigants from Enugu North Senatorial District and other judicial divisions to travel the same Ugwuogo – Opi route to Enugu and beyond in order to attend courts.
"Our position is that everyone’s life matters irrespective of status or position. So, if insecurity is the reason for this parlous and embarrassing state of affairs, it is difficult for us to appreciate why this should be limited to High Court proceedings (alone).
"It is a common knowledge that high courts in other states in Nigeria including Borno State, Kwara, Oyo, Benue, Kogi, Plateau where there are higher security challenges sit physically.
"In view of the foregoing, we reiterate and demand that: if the concern of their Lordships is that there is insecurity in Enugu State of a magnitude or proportion that they cannot attend courts in Enugu North Senatorial District, the Chief Judge of Enugu State as a matter of urgency should approach the relevant authorities to provide more security for Judges sitting in the judicial divisions under reference. It is our firm belief that it is the responsibility of His Lordship, the Chief Judge of Enugu State to do so.
"if the concern of their Lordships is that there is insecurity in Enugu State of a magnitude or proportion that they cannot attend courts in Enugu North Senatorial District, the Chief Judge of Enugu State as a matter of urgency should approach the relevant authorities to provide accommodations for their Lordships in order to enable them avoid travelling through Ugwuogo-Opi road or axis or any such route in order to do their duties qua judges of High Court of Enugu State.
"Fally, it has come to our notice that our protest on the 3rd day of June, 2026, was deliberately distorted by yet to be identified mischievous blogger or internet rat, who stated that our protest was against the government of His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, or any government or political party.
"We state categorically that that is a deliberate but failed attempt to discredit us as the NBA is a non-partisan association.We thank you for your time and for listening."
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