- Unassigned Cases: Lawyers urge Chief Judge of Federal Capital Territory High Court, Justice Hussein Baba, to expedite assignment of over 500 cases.
- Vacation Court Cases: Many cases originated from vacation courts during the annual vacation period (July-September 2024).
- Delay Consequences: Hundreds of litigants left in limbo, suffering untold losses due to delayed case assignments.
- CJ’s Workload: Lawyers suggest CJ is overburdened, recommending delegation of reassignment tasks to alleviate workload.
Lawyers are calling on Justice Hussein Baba to take immediate action on the large backlog of cases in the Federal Capital Territory High Court. With over 500 cases unassigned since September 16, 2024, the delay is crippling the administration of justice and causing significant losses for litigants.
The cases, many of which originated from vacation courts during the annual break, have been stalled for almost two months. Lawyers express frustration at the Chief Judge’s slow pace, suggesting that his workload as Administrative Judge of the entire FCT may be contributing to the issue.
Potential solutions proposed by lawyers include delegating reassignment tasks to other judges, allowing the CJ to focus on pressing matters within the FCT judiciary. The delay has raised concerns about the impact on justice delivery within the FCT.
In related news, there are ongoing concerns about accountability and transparency in the allocation of funds in Nigeria, with organizations like SERAP pushing for governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to account for missing trillions of naira in federal allocations.
