Nnewi—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.
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