Following the murder of the magistrate in charge of the Ejemekwuru Customary Court in the state’s Oguta local government area, attorneys in Imo State have threatened to start a three-day boycott of court hearings on Monday.
On Thursday, gunmen broke into the court and killed Nnaemeka Ugboma, a magistrate.
In response to the event, the state’s five branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) announced that they will boycott the state’s courts for three days to express their displeasure with the administration.
A statement signed by the chairmen of the branches, D. U. Alinnor for Owerri branch; B.A. Munonye, Orlu branch; Ambrose Ugbaja, Mbaise branch; E.A. Ochionu, Okigwe branch, and Richard Anyanwu for Mbano/Etiti branch, decried the constant attacks on judicial officers and facilities in the state.
The statement read, “The branches of the NBA in Imo State (Imo Bar) decry the cold-blooded killing of a judicial officer, Nnaemeka Ugboma, who was shot in the court by some yet-to-be-identified gunmen on February 2, 2023.
“On receipt of the news, the Owerri branch of the NBA promptly engaged lawyers within the affected jurisdiction as well as staff of the affected court, who confirmed the incident. We also convened an emergency meeting and further contacted the heads of the judiciary, particularly the chief judge of Imo State and the president of the Customary Court of Appeal Imo State.
“The commissioner of Police has also received a request from us for an immediate and thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the unfortunate incident and to ensure that the culprits are apprehended and made to face the full weight of the law.”