Following the strike by the Judicial staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN,
that has lasted for three months so far, the Chief Judge of Anambra
State, Justice Peter Umeadi has set up a mobile court to help decongest
the police cells now filled with suspects.
Making this disclosure to newsmen, the provost of Idemili branch of
Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Pat Agbata, said: “It is now three months
since the judiciary went on strike in the state and it is affecting us
and our clients.
“We live based on what we get from the court. Suspects are languishing in police cells because there is no fair hearing on their matter. Based on that, a mobile court has been set up to decongest the police cells and they started about a week ago in Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi.
That of Awka was at the CID headquarters, followed by Onitsha and t hen Nnewi and they were being presided over by the administrative magistrates in the zones.
“Those with capital matters were sent to prisons and others with minor offences were not given fair trial because lawyers were not there to defend them,” he said.
For those who were given bail their fundamental right is being denied,” he said.
Asked if it was a competent court he said, “it was done on arrangement to decongest the police cells. It is not a regular court, we have to improvise a means to decongest the cel;ls and also allow people who are unnecessarily languishing in police cells to be free”.
Barrister Agbata urged Governor Willie Obiano to come to the rescue of the judiciary by calling off the strike stressing that suspects are dying while others are languishing in prisons.
File Photo: Inmates at a prison facility
“We live based on what we get from the court. Suspects are languishing in police cells because there is no fair hearing on their matter. Based on that, a mobile court has been set up to decongest the police cells and they started about a week ago in Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi.
That of Awka was at the CID headquarters, followed by Onitsha and t hen Nnewi and they were being presided over by the administrative magistrates in the zones.
“Those with capital matters were sent to prisons and others with minor offences were not given fair trial because lawyers were not there to defend them,” he said.
For those who were given bail their fundamental right is being denied,” he said.
Asked if it was a competent court he said, “it was done on arrangement to decongest the police cells. It is not a regular court, we have to improvise a means to decongest the cel;ls and also allow people who are unnecessarily languishing in police cells to be free”.
Barrister Agbata urged Governor Willie Obiano to come to the rescue of the judiciary by calling off the strike stressing that suspects are dying while others are languishing in prisons.
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