Danjuma Attah, Gombe
Members of the Gombe State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) have resolved to boycott the sittings of the Court of Appeal in Maiduguri over the resurgence of terrorists activities.
The Bar in a unanimous resolution during an emergency virtual meeting is therefore calling for the reopening of the Gombe Division of the Court of Appeal.
In a statement made available to newsmen and signed by the branch Chairman, Mr Sati Benjamin Esq and Mr Abdulmutallib Babawuro Esq, the Bar expressed dissafection with the closure of the Court of Appeal Gombe Division and the transfer of all appeals to the newly established Court of Appeal Maiduguri Division without any security threats to the court in Gombe State.
According to the statement, “the branch resolved that members shall not attend the sittings of the court in Maiduguri on grounds of insecurity of resurgence boko haram along Gombe-Maiduguri road”.
During the meeting, the Gombe Bar also resolved to write a protest letter to the President of the Court of Appeal, which shall be copied to the presiding Justice of the Maiduguri Division of the Court of Appeal, stating the grievances of the NBA branch in closing the Gombe Division and transfer of all appeals to Maiduguri.
It also resolved that, “all members shall boycott sittings of the court in Maiduguri and that each lawyer/law firm served with any hearing notice shall write a letter with N1,000 remitter generated for the letter citing insecurity as ground for not attending the sitting in Maiduguri.
“That an audience of the executive members of the the branch be sought with the Executive Governor of Gombe State to discuss on further move about the Gombe Division”, the statement stressed.
The Gombe branch noted that from available statistics in the record of the court, the pending cases in the Court of Appeal Gombe Division which comprises appeals emanating from Gombe, Yobe and Borno States, Gombe State presently stands out with the highest number of cases and even more than that of Yobe and Borno States put together.
The Court of Appeal Gombe Division which was created in 2020, already has well functional office accommodation and staff quarters all built and donated to the Court courtesy of the Gombe State Government as well as four permanent residential quarters for Justices completed by the Court of Appeal itself.
“The Division has been active since inception with behest of activities and with lawyers and litigants coming from across the country”, the Gombe branch statement emphasized.
End.