Appeal Court deploys 51 justices to Rivers

The Court of Appeal of Nigeria has deployed 51 justices to its Port Harcourt Division to handle hundreds of pending cases as part of activities marking the court’s 50th anniversary.

At the commemorative sitting held in Port Harcourt, Monica Dongban-Mensem, President of the court, announced that the justices would hear 357 appeals and 272 motions through 17 panels constituted to ease the heavy workload of the division.

She explained that the initiative — organised in the oil-rich Rivers State — was designed to decongest the court’s docket, noting that proceedings would run throughout the week, with some sessions moved to the High Court Complex due to space limitations. The intervention, she said, follows a similar exercise previously carried out in Lagos.

The event also featured the commissioning of an Alternative Dispute Resolution centre and a valedictory honour for retiring justice Obietonbara Owupele Daniel-Kalio, whom Dongban-Mensem described as diligent and highly knowledgeable.

She said the Port Harcourt Division has long served as a key training ground for justices, with many former members later elevated to the Supreme Court. The special sitting, she added, reflects the judiciary’s commitment to improving the administration of justice and tackling the growing backlog of appeals nationwide.

Dongban-Mensem urged lawyers to file concise processes to avoid delays and cautioned journalists against sensational reporting of court rulings, stressing that accurate reporting helps maintain public confidence in the judiciary.

Speaking at the event, the Port Harcourt branch chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Cordelia Uwuma Eke, said the exercise would accelerate access to justice but called for the appointment of more justices to provide a long-term solution to congestion.

Also, senior advocate O. C. J. Okocha praised the intervention, describing it as a commendable effort to reduce delays in hearing and disposing of cases.

The special sitting forms a major highlight of the Court of Appeal’s golden jubilee celebrations, with hearings underway to clear the backlog of cases in the division.