Cases Stalled, Police Lament Overcrowded Cells
• Release Suspects On Bail • Criminals Are Getting Emboldened, NGO Warns • It Is A Precarious Situation For Us — Lawyers • Union President Urges Members To Be R esolute As Strike Continues • Plans Nationwide Peaceful Protest On Monday
MAJOR stakeholders in the judicial arm of government have lamented the effects of the ongoing strike embarked upon by the judicial workers, under the aegis of Judiciar y Staff Union of Nigeria ( JUSUN), leaving courts under lock and key .
The stakeholders, including the Police, la wyers and Nigerians who ha ve one case or the other in courts, said the strike has negatively affected them and called on government to proffer solution to the lingering industrial crisis.
JUSUN had on April 6, shut down all courts in the Federal Capital Territor y ( FCT) and replicated same across the country to push for the implementation of financial autonomy for the judiciary as the third arm of government. The union had alleged that the Federal and State governments had over the years, declined to grant financial autonomy to the judiciary.
Efforts by the Nigerian Bar Association ( NBA) to persuade the union to shelve the strike proved abortive, as members shut courts and agencies under the judiciary, such as National Judicial Council ( NJC) and Federal Judicial Service Commission ( FJSC).
President of the union, Marwan Mustapha Adamu, yesterday, issued a circular to the National Executive Council ( NEC) and all members of the union, stressing that the industrial action continues since govern - ment was yet to address their grievance.
Adamu, while appreciating members for their comradeship and solidarity exhibited in the ongoing action, informed them that the Federal Government and state governors were yet to find the ground for meeting with their demands.
“We are a ware of threats and pressures that may come from governors, but please be resolute. Furthermore, be informed that following an emergency meeting of NWC on April 15, it is agreed that union will organise a peaceful protest, which will be replicated in the 36 state capitals, in furtherance of our agitations from April 19.
“Please, note that in case there are any invitations for negotiations or talks, y ou should promptly inform the national headquarters for guidelines and representations to avoid disorder in presentation of facts,” the union leader stated.
For the Police in Osun State, cells have been overcrowded since the strike began, as suspects could not be arraigned, so as to get bail of be remanded in correctional centres.
The state Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Yemisi Opalola, told The Guardian, yesterday in Osogbo, that the Command had to release suspects whose case were not too severe on administrative bail to decongest the cells.
Opalola said: “We are very tired of the situation. It is a great problem for us; we need to be releasing some suspects on bail. In as much they have sureties, we great them administrative bail. “Our cells are overcrowded, just because we are unable to arraign suspects. Those who are in the cell are those whose cases are severe, I mean the high profile offences. The ones we don’t have power to grant administrative bail, we have no choice than to keep them in the cells.
“We pray they call off this strike, so that we can move them to courts.”
A Non- Governmental Organisation ( NGO), Value Female Network ( VFN), which has been pursuing a rape case involving a public school teacher in the state, Gbenga Samson Ayenioye, and his friend, a theatre practitioner, Tunde Amoke Oja, at an Osogbo Magistrate’s Court, said the strike has stalled the trial.
The duo was dragged to court by the Police for allegedly raping an underage ( name withheld) in February last year at Latona area.
Head of its Gender Unit, Moriike Yagboyaju, feared that criminals might be emboldened with the continuous closure of courts, adding: “This is a very unpalatable situation we find ourselves in Nigeria. With the continuous closure of courts, crimes will increase and criminals will be emboldened.
“Many of the gender- related and human rights abuses cases that we are pursuing in courts have been affected. We all know that justice delayed is justice denied. “We want our courts, which is seen as the last hope of the common man, to be functional again. A whole lot of people are already going through trauma, because their abusers are walking the streets unpunished.”
Lawyers decried the continued closure of courts, describing it as precarious, just as they count their losses, especially as they said the ethics of law doesn’t permit lawyers to engage in other works to survive.
They lamented that some of their clients are languishing in prisons and cells because the court is not available to grant them bail or hear their cases, urging government to have a discussion with stakeholders in a bid to end the industrial impasse.
Aizeyosabo Ima- Idehen said: “My clients are in prison custody. If there was no strike, they would have been brought to the court and their applications for bail would have been made. “This strike has already confined them to prisons, and the law presumes them innocent until contrary is proven by the court. There are others who are in Police cells because of the nature of their cases.
“This strike has really affected lawyers negatively as many of us feed our families from the money we make while practising. The court is our workshop, our office and market place and as long as our market place is shut down, there will be hunger.
“I advise government to call a stakeholders meeting that would proffer way forward, because even the government itself is affected, as it is not getting the revenue it is supposed to get since the courts were shut down. So, we are all affected, including the NBA, government and the judicial workers.” Jimmy Jones expressed fear that Chambers could be forced to downsize to cut cost since courts have been shut down, with income of lawyers affected.
“It has not been easy.
Clients wouldn’t want to part with their money until the court starts. It is ver y sad. It has had a negative impact on litigation lawyers, unlike la wyers who are more or less political or in the employment of government and politicians. One just has to streamline one’s budget. If you have like 20 staff before, you have to reduce them.
“Many of my clients are in prison now just because of this strike. The one that is so painful to me is the case of Aderemi Sheribu, who is presently at Ilesa Correctional Centre because of this crisis that happened between the Y oruba and Hausa people last year . He was supposed to be granted bail on the April 12, but the courts ha ve been shut. “Government needs to act and ensure that this issue is addressed, because if they don’t, this menace will continue. The continuous closure of courts is ver y unhealthy for our judiciary.”
Also speaking, Ibrahim Lawal, said the fundamental rights of citizens would also be affected by the strike, noting: “Any shutdown of government activities will ha ve negative impacts on the citizenr y, particularly the court, which a lot of persons look up to as the last hope of the common man. Read the remainder of this story on www. guardian. ng