By Gloria Drealomalicha
Lawyers in the Nsukka and Obollo-Afor areas of Enugu State on Tuesday shut down the High Court in Obollo-Afor in protest against the prolonged absence of physical court proceedings in the region.
The action follows years of complaints over the failure of judges posted to courts in Enugu North Senatorial District to sit physically and hear cases, a situation legal practitioners say has disrupted access to justice and delayed the resolution of numerous matters.
Reports indicate that judges assigned to the district have largely relied on virtual proceedings due to security concerns in parts of the area. However, many lawyers argue that the arrangement has become unsustainable and has effectively left courtrooms abandoned.
Frustrated by what they described as the continued neglect of the judicial divisions, lawyers intensified their agitation by sealing the Obollo-Afor High Court to press home their demands for the restoration of regular physical sittings.
The protest comes barely two weeks after legal practitioners across the district staged a peaceful march through major streets in Nsukka on June 3. During the demonstration, they condemned the persistent absence of judges from courtrooms and called on the judiciary to address the situation urgently.
The earlier protest affected all five judicial divisions in the zone — Nsukka, Obollo-Afor, Enugu-Ezike, Ogbede and Umulokpa — highlighting growing frustration among lawyers and litigants who say justice is being delayed.
Many residents and court users have also expressed concern over the impact of the situation, noting that prolonged delays in hearing cases have imposed financial and emotional burdens on litigants seeking justice.
The lawyers insist that unless concrete steps are taken to restore physical court proceedings, access to justice in the affected communities will remain severely compromised.
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