FCT Court begs for renovation of complex burnt during EndSARS protest

The FCT Customary Court in Dutse, Abuja, has appealed to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to facilitate the renovation of its court complex, which was damaged by 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 petitioner Chiwendu Nwadi and her husband, Emeka Nwadi, in Ushafa, Abuja.

NAN reports that the Dutse Customary Court has been using the court complex of a sister court in Ushafa for its sittings following the destruction of its facilities in 2020.

The Ushafa Customary Court, which owns the facility, holds sittings on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while the Dutse court holds its sittings on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Dutse and Ushafa are communities within Bwari Area Council in the nation’s capital, located approximately 17 kilometers apart.

Addressing the lawyers in the divorce case, who were struggling to agree on a date for the next hearing, the president of the court noted that scheduling conflicts is a recurrent challenge in cases before the court.

According to him, the limited availability of sittings—only twice a week—has severely impacted the timely dispensation of justice.

He highlighted that many cases before the court involve family matters, particularly child custody issues, which require urgent adjudication and should not be delayed.

Adesoji urged the NBA to prompt the relevant authorities to renovate the Dutse court complex, noting that the association had made promises in the past regarding renovations, though these were yet to be fulfilled.

Responding to the president’s appeal, Mr Moses Ibe, the petitioner’s lawyer, promised to convey the message to the NBA’s Bwari branch for necessary action.

In an interview with NAN after the court session, Ibe remarked that the distance of the court from its jurisdiction and the restrictive sitting days have hindered the prompt dispensation of justice.

He added that the purpose of establishing the Dutse court was to bring justice closer to the people, a goal that remains unfulfilled due to the failure to renovate the court.