Court activities across the Enugu North Senatorial District were on Tuesday brought to a standstill as members of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Nsukka and Obollo-Afor branches staged a peaceful protest against what they described as the abandonment of courts by judges and the growing reliance on virtual court sittings.

Dressed in their legal suits and bips, the lawyers marched through major streets in Nsukka, chanting solidarity songs, including the popular refrain, “Freedom cometh by struggle…,” as they demanded urgent reforms in the administration of justice in the zone.

The protest culminated In a declaration by the lawyers that they would henceforth boycott court proceedings presided over virtually and refuse to appear in any court where a judge was not physically present.

Speaking during the protest, Chairman of the NBA Nsukka Branch, Comrade Sunday Agbo, said the action became necessary after months of frustration over what he described as worsening conditions in the judiciary across the senatorial district.

“We want the whole world to know what the judiciary in Enugu North Senatorial Zone is suffering,” Agbo declared.

According to him, the protest affects all five judicial divisions in the zone—Nsukka, Obollo-Afor, Enugu-Ezike, Ogbede and Umulokpa—which he said have been crippled by neglect and poor administrative practices.

Agbo alleged that since the beginning of 2026, judges posted to the divisions had largely abandoned their duty stations following the introduction of virtual court proceedings.

“They now abandoned our courts. They have announced they want to do virtual hearing,” he said.

While acknowledging that virtual hearings are recognised under existing court rules, the NBA chairman argued that the arrangement was never intended to replace the physical presence of judges in their respective jurisdictions.

“That does not mean that a judge should abdicate his primary posting,” he stated.

He further lamented that poor internet connectivity had rendered many virtual proceedings ineffective, leaving lawyers and litigants stranded for hours at court premises.

“Most of the time, we’ll be left abandoned in the courts on the ground that there’s no network. Those of us in Nsukka will stay until 5:00 p.m. in the evening,” Agbo said.

The lawyers also accused the judiciary’s administrative system of creating unnecessary bottlenecks by relocating active case files from local judicial divisions to Enugu, the state capital.

According to Agbo, the development has made it difficult for legal practitioners and litigants to access case files and obtain certified true copies of court documents.

“They took all the case files to Enugu and blocked them there. So if you want a certified copy, you will not get it,” he alleged.

The NBA chairman further alleged that some court officials demand between ₦20,000 and ₦30,000 from lawyers to facilitate the movement of legal processes to Enugu.

“When you file a process, you will be ordered by the clerk to bring money, N20,000, N30,000, for that process to go up to Enugu,” he claimed.

He also accused registry staff of deliberately delaying applications for certified court documents unless unofficial payments were made.

“If you want a certified copy of a process, it will be delayed two, three, four weeks until you mobilise the registrar with N10,000 or N30,000,” Agbo alleged.

The lawyers disclosed that the Nsukka and Obollo-Afor branches of the NBA had earlier petitioned the Chief Judge of Enugu State on March 26, 2026, seeking intervention, but said no meaningful action had been taken.

As a result, they resolved to suspend participation in court proceedings across the zone until their concerns are addressed.

Among their demands are the restoration of regular physical court sittings, improvement of virtual hearing infrastructure, return of case files to local judicial divisions, and the effective use of judges’ residential quarters within their areas of posting.

“I’m making it categorically clear that unless an improved situation is there, courts in Enugu North Senatorial Zone will not sit until our protest and demands are attended to,” Agbo said.

The protest left court premises deserted across the affected judicial divisions, with litigants and members of the public unable to access judicial services as the standoff entered a new phase. (The Nation)