Lawyers in the Nsukka and Obollo-Afor areas of Enugu State on Tuesday, June 16, shut down the High Court in Obollo-Afor in protest over the continued absence of physical court sittings by judges assigned to the area.
The legal practitioners expressed frustration over what they described as the prolonged failure of judges posted to the Enugu North Senatorial District to conduct proceedings in person, a situation that has persisted for several years.
Reports indicate that judges in the district adopted virtual court sessions due to security concerns in parts of the area. However, lawyers have argued that the arrangement has effectively led to the abandonment of courtrooms and hindered access to justice.
Earlier, on June 3, members of the legal profession staged a protest march through major streets in Nsukka, condemning the continued reliance on virtual proceedings and calling for a return to physical court sittings.
The demonstration affected all five judicial divisions in the district—Nsukka, Obollo-Afor, Enugu-Ezike, Ogbede and Umulokpa.
In a further push to press their demands, the lawyers on Tuesday sealed the High Court premises in Obollo-Afor, insisting that judges resume physical adjudication of cases in the area.
