Nsukka, Nigeria – Legal practitioners, under the auspices of Opi Lawyers Forum (OLF), on Saturday protested alleged grabbing of Opi Customary Court land by Nsukka Local Government Council (LG) Chairman, Chief Jude Asogwa, to build a market.
The lawyers accused the council boss of converting parts of the customary court land to build market lockup shops which, according to them, will distort the serenity of the court environment.
They lawyers, in a peaceful protest, gathered at the customary court premises where market building foundations were being dug by Nsukka LG.
Addressing newsmen shortly after conducting members of the forum round customary court land, Mr Casimir Agbo, the Chairman of the Opi Lawyers Forum, said that they were at the court to protest the illegality of building a market within the court environment.
“We are here to protest against this illegality that will make the court environment unconducive for judges, lawyers and judicial workers.
“Building a market in court premises is not in tandem with the principle of court which means silence; there is nowhere in the world where court and market coexist.
“We are not happy with this development, that is why lawyers from Opi Nsukka are protesting this illegality today.
“Encroachment of court premises is what we are fighting for and we are not going to back down in this legal fight; we will not use violence because we are lawyers but we will follow the matter to its logical conclusion.
“This customary court is owned by the judiciary and not by the local government, that is why we have petitioned the Chief Judge of Enugu State, the President of Enugu Customary Court, Enugu State Government, as well as the Nigeria Judiciary Commission (NJC) to call the council chairman to order,” he said.
Agbo threatened that the forum would head to court after exhausting all avenues without the chairman listening to the voice of reason.
“As people in the temple of Justice, we are asking that court premises should remain a quiet and serene environment.
“We interfaced with the council chairman and he only agreed to stop the market building in front of the court but the forum insisted that all foundation within the customary court premises most be stopped.
The forum chairman explained that their forefathers gave the land to the customary court in 1917 and not to the Nsukka LG, adding that the court should return the land to the community if they are no longer making use of it than diverting it for other purpose.
When contacted, the LG chairman (Asogwa) said building of the market by the council in Opi was to develop the area as well as key into the developmental agenda of Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State.
The LG boss said he had met with some members of Opi Lawyers Forum and they only urged him not to build the market shops in certain area of the customary court which “I agreed”.
“There was no time they said I should stop building the market in the entire area given to Opi Customary Court,” he said .
