Mr. Charles Onuchukwu, Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Aba Branch, has criticized the state’s justice delivery system, attributing its challenges to the lack of judicial appointments and inadequate court facilities.
Onuchukwu, in an interview with Vanguard, highlighted that the High Courts in the state are understaffed, with a shortage of judges, while magistrate courts face a severe shortage of courtroom space. This, he said, is causing significant delays in justice delivery, with many suspects languishing in correctional centers without trial.
He explained that the appointment of new judges has been stalled since 2021 due to a lawsuit filed by certain individuals against the process. The National Judicial Council (NJC) had been preparing to announce new appointments but was hindered by this legal challenge, which is currently under appeal. As a result, vacant positions left by retiring judges have not been filled.
Onuchukwu noted that other states, such as Imo, have managed to appoint and swear in multiple judges during this period, while Abia has struggled. He pointed out that the extension of judges’ retirement age has somewhat alleviated the situation but emphasized the critical need for additional judges and courtrooms to handle the growing number of cases.
He also described the overcrowded court dockets and the strained capacity of existing judges, who are overwhelmed by the volume of cases. In some areas, like Osisioma Ngwa and Ukwa East/West, the shortage is so severe that one or two judges are forced to cover multiple local government areas, further compounding the delay in legal proceedings.
Magistrate courts, Onuchukwu added, are similarly affected by the lack of sufficient courtrooms, leading some to hold sessions in the afternoon. He called for urgent reforms to address these systemic issues to improve the efficiency of the state’s judiciary.