In protest of the abduction of a lawyer, Barr. Chima Awurum, lawyers and judicial personnel in Imo State suspended court proceedings on Tuesday, March 23, 2021.
Recall that on Friday 19 March 2021, Awurum was abducted by gunmen in Mbano/Etiti, Local Government Area of the State.
Chinedu Agu, Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Imo State branch, said in a memorandum on Tuesday that the directive must be strictly followed.
The request to suspend court proceedings was accepted by the state’s Acting Chief Judge, Ijeoma Oguguo, and signed by the Chief Registrar, C.N Okereke, according to Agu.
The memorandum stated, “The Office of the Chief Registrar, High Court of Imo State has announced that the High Courts and Magistrates Courts will not sit on Tuesday in solidarity with the Mbano/Etiti Branch of the NBA.”
However, some plaintiffs and defendants were seen at the courthouse looking baffled by the unexpected turn of events.
Mr Kingsley Anyawu, a Defendant, told the News Men that his case had dragged on for too long due to lengthy adjournments and a court boycott.
Anyawu also condemned the lawyer’s kidnapping and urged security agencies to find a long-term solution to the state’s insecurity.
