The Chief Registrar of the Ogun State High Court, Mr Luqman Oke, has raised concern over the high number of awaiting-trial inmates in Nigerian correctional facilities, disclosing that 51,955 of the country’s 80,812 inmates, representing about 64 per cent, are yet to have their cases finally determined.
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Oke said the figures underscored the urgent need for magistrates to adopt effective case-management strategies, embrace technology and address delays that contribute to congestion in correctional facilities.
He spoke at the National Convention of the Magistrates Association of Nigeria, tagged “Gateway Convention 2026,” held at the Ceremonial Court, Judiciary Complex, Kobape Road, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Speaking on the theme, “Strengthening the Magistracy for Effective Justice Delivery through Capacity Building and Innovation,” Oke said the future of the Magistracy should be measured not merely by opportunities for career advancement but by the value judicial officers create within the justice system.
He urged magistrates to recognise their critical role in reducing delays in criminal proceedings, particularly because a large proportion of persons held in correctional facilities are awaiting trial.
According to him, 51,955 out of 80,812 inmates in facilities operated by the Nigerian Correctional Service are awaiting trial, a situation requiring exceptional case management by judicial officers to reduce delays and congestion.
Oke outlined six practical steps that individual magistrates could take to improve justice delivery, including maintaining proper case-management records, embracing available technology, continuously studying developments in the law, ensuring dignity in the courtroom, measuring their professional performance and building reputations founded on integrity rather than lobbying.
He encouraged magistrates to use practical technological tools, including electronic calendars and, where appropriate, digital communication platforms such as WhatsApp for notices, to improve the administration of cases.
Beyond individual reforms, the Chief Registrar proposed five collective initiatives for the Magistrates Association of Nigeria.
These include the establishment of a Magistracy Reform and Data Unit that would produce an annual “State of the Nigerian Magistracy Report,” the creation of an Innovation Network for sharing practical solutions and best practices among magistrates, and the development of a structured reform agenda containing transparent criteria for career progression.
He also called for stronger coordination among institutions within the justice sector and a common professional voice for magistrates that would be evidence-based, constructive and respectful.
Oke acknowledged that many magistrates aspire to elevation to the High Court Bench but warned that such ambition should not become the sole measure of professional achievement.
“It is understandable that many Magistrates aspire to the High Court Bench. However, an uncertain promotion process can become a source of constant anxiety if our entire sense of professional worth depends on it. Prepare diligently for advancement, but continue to build a meaningful career in the Magistracy,” he said.
According to him, ambition for elevation should not expose magistrates to manipulation or prevent them from finding professional fulfilment in their current responsibilities.
“The objective is not to abandon ambition. It is to ensure that ambition does not make us vulnerable to manipulation or rob us of satisfaction in the work we presently do.
“Finally, we must recognise that professional resilience is not the same as silent endurance. We should not romanticise poor working conditions,” Oke added.
Earlier, the Chief Judge of Ogun State, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, cautioned magistrates against regarding their offices merely as waiting rooms for eventual elevation to the High Court.
She stressed that the Magistracy is itself an important judicial institution carrying substantial responsibilities within Nigeria’s justice system.
Justice Dipeolu noted that Ogun State had maintained its annual Magistrates’ Conference since 1976, with 45 editions held without interruption.
She urged magistrates to invest continuously in their professional development by studying judgments of superior courts, strengthening their legal research and judgment-writing skills and embracing innovations including e-filing, digital case management and virtual proceedings wherever permitted.
Delivering the keynote paper titled “The Future of the Nigerian Magistracy in an Evolving Justice Sector,” Sola Ojutalayo, SAN, described the magistrate as “the Gateway of the Justice Process,” noting that magistrates are often the first judicial officers required to scrutinise the actions of the police and prosecuting authorities.
Ojutalayo identified several challenges confronting the Magistracy, including inadequate independence and funding, poor welfare, unconducive working environments, uncertain pathways to elevation to higher courts, heavy caseloads, delays, poor records management, jurisdictional overlaps and declining public confidence.
He recommended reforms in criminal procedure, greater digitalisation of court processes, increased use of Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms and the development of specialised courts where necessary.
Discussing the keynote paper, Justice Adeola Adelaja of the Ogun State High Court said the future of the Magistracy could not depend on technology alone.
She stressed that competence, integrity, welfare and institutional independence remained equally important and warned that reforms should be implemented without compromising judicial independence or the constitutional right to fair hearing.
In her welcome address, Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the Magistrates Association of Nigeria, Mrs Onome Nwankwo, said the committee was constituted on January 27, 2026, following the dissolution of the former national executive.
She said the caretaker committee subsequently convened a National Executive Council meeting in Abuja on April 25, 2026.
Nwankwo described the Abeokuta gathering as the association’s first national convention in 10 years, following the last convention held in Rivers State in 2016.
She said the convention was also expected to elect a new National Executive Council, thereby restoring democratic continuity to the association.
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