Lawyers begin strike over magistrate’s murder in Imo

Lawyers and judges in Imo State on Monday began a three-day strike to protest the murder of a Magistrate in charge of Ejemekwuru Customary Court in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State, Nnaemeka Ugboma.

Ugboma was shot dead by unknown gunmen while presiding over a court session last Thursday.

The strike was coordinated by five branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in the state.

The NBA chairman in the state, Ugochukwu Allinor, who addressed journalists in Owerri, said the strike would compel the government to fish out the magistrate’s suspected killers and also provide adequate security in courts across the state.

Imo State and other states in the South-East had witnessed several attacks by non-state actors since 2021.

Allinor said: “This dastardly act is highly condemnable as it desecrates the temple of justice and undermines the confidence of the citizens in the judiciary as the last hope of the common man.

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“The Bar therefore calls on the Imo State Government to provide, with immediate effect, security in and around all the courts in Imo State, which have remained porous despite the sensitive role they play in the society.

“The Imo Bar, in consonance with the national body of the NBA, ably led by Y.C. Maikyau, SAN, firmly resists the attempt to undermine the judiciary and the legal profession, and instill fear in the conduct of judicial proceedings. Also, citizens need to be aware that judicial officers and lawyers are not their enemies or opponents, they only aid in the administration of justice.

“In the circumstance, the members of the NBA in Imo State have resolved to boycott all courts in Imo State starting from Monday, February 6, 2023 to Wednesday February 8, 2023, in other to register their displeasure with the current state of affairs.

“Until the members of the Bar in Imo State are sufficiently assured of the safety of the judiciary, the Bar and the litigants as requested, we shall continue to review the situation and to take further necessary actions.”

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