The Rivers State Judiciary has announced a suspension of court sittings from Monday, February 16th to Friday, February 20th, 2026, to accommodate special judicial activities in the state.
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In a circular dated 11th February 2026 and signed by the Chief Registrar of the High Court, David D. Ihua-Maduenyi, Esq., the suspension was communicated to all Branch Chairmen of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Rivers State.
The circular stated: “This is to inform you that the Chief Judge of Rivers State, Hon. Justice Simeon C. Amadi, DSSRS, has approved the Suspension of Court Sittings from Monday, the 16th to Friday, the 20th February, 2026.”
The Chief Registrar outlined three specific reasons necessitating the suspension of court sittings:
First, the Special Panels set up by the Honourable President of the Court of Appeal to decongest the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal of the backlog of appeals will commence sitting in Port Harcourt from the 16th February, 2026.
Second, some of the Special Court of Appeal Panels shall be sitting within the Port Harcourt Judicial Division for the decongestion exercise.
Third, there will be a mandatory Information Communication Technology (ICT) training programme for Hon. Judges, learned Magistrates, Registrars and Legal/Research Assistants from Monday the 16th February, 2026 to Friday, the 20th February, 2026.
The suspension is primarily to accommodate the Court of Appeal’s special initiative to address the backlog of appeals in the Port Harcourt Division. The deployment of special panels from the appellate court represents a strategic intervention to expedite the hearing and determination of pending appeals.
The mandatory ICT training programme scheduled for the same period underscores the judiciary’s commitment to technological advancement and capacity building for judicial officers and support staff.
The training will encompass Hon. Judges, learned Magistrates, Registrars, and Legal/Research Assistants across the Rivers State Judicial Division.
The circular was copied to eight NBA branches in Rivers State:
- Port Harcourt Branch
- Ahoada Branch
- Omoku Branch
- Bori Branch
- Okrika Branch
- Degema Branch
- Isiokpo Branch
- Okehi Branch
The Chief Registrar concluded the circular with assurances of the highest regards from His Lordship, the Hon. Chief Judge of Rivers State.
Rivers Suspension of Court Sitting fromThe five-day suspension means that all routine court matters scheduled for hearing between February 16th and 20th will be adjourned. Legal practitioners and litigants are advised to take note of the suspension and make necessary adjustments to their schedules.
The Court of Appeal decongestion exercise is expected to significantly reduce the backlog of pending appeals in the Port Harcourt Division, potentially leading to faster resolution of appellate matters for litigants in Rivers State and neighboring jurisdictions.
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