The Federal High Court in Warri Judicial Division, Delta State, has not resumed sitting weeks after the annual vacation for judges ended on September 18th, 2022.
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According to findings, the court has been without a presiding judge since the elevation of Justice Okon Abang, who was previously in charge of the Warri Judicial Division, to the Court of Appeal in September.
The annual vacation for Federal High Court judges was announced in July in a statement by the court’s spokesperson, Catherine Christopher. The vacation commenced on July 24th and was scheduled to end on September 15th, with the court set to reopen for business on September 18th.
However, over a month after the scheduled resumption, the Warri Judicial Division is yet to have a new judge appointed. This has effectively crippled court activities and denied litigants their right to fair and speedy trials.
“There are no judges to hear cases and proceedings at the court currently. No trials are going on, while inmates awaiting trial at correctional centers have not been brought to court,” a court official told newsmen.
The situation is reminiscent of previous instances where courts were shut down nationwide due to strikes by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN). However, in this case, it is merely the lack of a judge to preside over cases that has forced the Warri Judicial Division into a standstill.
With no indications as to when a new judge would be posted to the court, the pile-up of cases is expected to lead to further delays in the administration of justice in Warri and surrounding areas under the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kayode Ariwoola, will need to promptly address this to ensure normal court sittings resume in the interest of justice.
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