The Chief Judge of Benue State, Adam Onum, has disclosed that the state judiciary received over 19,412 civil and criminal cases in one year.
Justice Onum made the disclosure during the special court session to mark the commencement of Benue State Judiciary 2018/2019 legal year.
Giving a breakdown, Onum stated that last year, the High Court had about 4,808 civil and criminal cases, out of which 1,465 were disposed while about 2,935 were brought forward to this year.
He also said that at the Magistrate Court, about 7814 cases were brought forward from the previous year while about 3750 fresh matters were filed in the year.
However, about 1,465 were disposed just as about 7,860 cases would be attended to in the new year.
At the Upper Area Court, Justice Onum stated that a total of 3040 cases were brought forward from previous year out of which the court disposed 594 leaving 2,547 cases to be attended to in the new year.
He also disclosed that a total of 54 appeal cases were brought before the Customary Court of Appeal in the year under review, out of which 24 were disposed of leaving a total of 32 appeals to be carried into the new year.
He, however, appealed to the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to urgently look into the matters more speedily in order to decongest the courts.
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Justice Onum who lamented infrastructural decay also appealed to state government to establish more infrastructure for the courts and appoint more judicial officers, magistrates and judges to reduce the work load on existing courts as well as on staff.
Onum who also stated that about half of their staff were on casual basis called on government to urgently ensure they were absorbed into the mainstream of state civil service to boost their morale.
He expressed fear that if government continued to treat interventions in the critical areas with levity, Benue society would head for lawlessness and anarchy.
He said during the year under review, several cases of theft and vandalisation of their properties were recorded at various court buildings particularly in Makurdi, Gboko, Otukpo and Katsina Ala local government areas.
According to him, the Benue judiciary is also facing challenges of dilapidated vehicles and lack of accommodations for their key officers.
He urged the governor to declare a state of emergency in the areas to enable the judiciary to enjoy maximum relief in the course of their work.
He advised that cooperation among judges be sustained in the new year to enable them achieve their aims.
Earlier, the chairman of Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA), Makurdi Branch, Prince Michael Gunduor, condemned the recent invasion of the Benue State House of Assembly by the security agencies and the blocking of accounts of the Benue State government by the EFCC.
He said that security agencies must avoid clashes with themselves and urged the executive and judiciary to be the master checker and the last hope of the common man.
He said the judiciary must be more daring and proactive.
The years legal year celebration started with a symposium themed: “Independence of the Judiciary: Matters arising.”
