The FCT Customary Court, Dutse, Abuja, has appealed to the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to facilitate the renovation of its court complex which fell victim to vandalism and arson during the 2020 EndSARS protests.
The President of the Court, Aderinto Adesoji, made the appeal during a resumed hearing in a divorce case between a petitioner, Chiwendu Nwadi and her husband, Emeka Nwadi in Ushafa, Abuja.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Customary Court, Dutse has been sharing the court complex of a sister court in Ushafa for its sittings following the destruction of its facilities, four years back.
NAN reports that while Customary Court, Ushafa, the real owner of the facility, has its sittings on Monday, Wednesday and Friday in a week, the Dutse court has its sittings on Tuesday and Thursday.
NAN further reports that Dutse and Ushafa are communities in Bwari Area Council of the FCT and they are about 17 kilometres apart.
Addressing lawyers to the parties in the divorce case, when they were finding it difficult to agree on a date for next hearing in the matter, the president of the court said it is a recurrent challenge in matters before the court.
According to him, the constraint of the panel, sitting only twice in a week has grossly affected quick dispensation of justice.
He said most cases before the court involve families, in particular, custody of children which require urgent adjudication, and should not be encumbered.
Adesoji said considering the fact that lawyers and their clients are affected by the constraints, the NBA should take steps to ensure that the appropriate authorities renovate the Dutse court complex.
He said promises have been made by the association to that effect in the past, but they were yet to be actualised.
Responding to the President’s appeal, Mr Moses Ibe, the lawyer to the petitioner, promised the court that he would convey the message to the NBA, Bwari branch for necessary action.
