The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has strongly criticized the continued closure of the Court of Appeal, Owerri Division, since October 2024, describing it as an unacceptable breach of judicial responsibility.
In a statement released on Thursday, RULAAC lamented that while courts in Nigeria’s volatile Northeast remain operational despite persistent Boko Haram threats, the Owerri Division remains shut due to a purported threat from a faceless pro-Biafra group. The group argues that this inconsistency undermines the integrity of the judiciary and erodes public confidence in the justice system.
RULAAC’s Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, condemned what he termed “judicial abdication,” arguing that the judiciary must uphold justice even in the face of security threats. He noted that while the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) swiftly disowned the alleged threats, the court remains nonfunctional, leaving thousands of cases in limbo.
“If insecurity were the real reason for the prolonged shutdown of the Owerri Appeal Court, then no courts would be sitting in the Northeast, where Boko Haram has unleashed terror for years. Yet, a new division of the Court of Appeal was recently established in Borno, near the infamous Sambisa Forest, and it is fully operational,” the statement read.
According to RULAAC, the indefinite closure of the Owerri Appeal Court has left over 6,000 pending cases unresolved, with 1,500 new cases accumulating every month. This backlog, they warn, is deepening the crisis of delayed justice in the region.
The group pointed out that despite the wave of insecurity in other parts of Nigeria—including Zamfara, Katsina, and Kaduna, where banditry is rampant—Courts of Appeal in those regions continue to function. This, RULAAC says, raises serious questions about judicial inconsistency and regional disparities in the administration of justice.
RULAAC echoed the concerns of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), which in December 2024 decried the judicial standstill in the Southeast. The NBA had urged authorities to consider alternatives such as virtual hearings or temporary relocation of court proceedings to ensure that justice remains accessible.
“The NBA also called on Southeast governors to step up and ensure the protection of judicial officers. It is their duty to guarantee that legal institutions operate without undue interference or fear,” the statement added.
To resolve the impasse, RULAAC has proposed several solutions, including:
✅ Immediate adoption of virtual court hearings to ensure continuous judicial proceedings while security concerns are addressed.
✅ Deployment of mobile courts or relocation of court sessions to safer venues to prevent further delays.
✅ Stronger collaboration between judicial authorities and state governments to enhance court security and protect judicial officers.
RULAAC insists that the continued closure of the Owerri Appeal Court is setting a dangerous precedent. “Governance and justice cannot be held hostage by faceless threats. If courts can function in war-torn regions, there is no justification for shutting down a key judicial institution in the Southeast.”
The group has now called on Southeast governors, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, and other judicial authorities to take decisive action before the legal system in the region collapses under the weight of accumulated cases.
PIONEER NEWS 