Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), a non-governmental organisation, has petitioned Governor Peter Mbah, calling for urgent reforms in the administration of justice in magistrates’ courts across Enugu State.
In a statement issued by its President, Olu Omotayo, Esq., and made available to journalists in Enugu, the group said the call had become necessary due to what it described as “gross denial and frustration of justice.”
CRRAN cited the cases of Godwin Odey and Yusuf Omotara as examples of “grave violations of citizens’ rights to access justice” and the authorities’ alleged refusal to take prompt action to address the breaches.
The group said Mr. Odey, “an innocent citizen,” was arraigned before a magistrate court in Enugu on a trumped-up charge of murder on September 24, 2025, and subsequently remanded in the Enugu Correctional Centre.
“Our organisation, alongside the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), wrote to the office of the Honourable Attorney General to look into the case and ensure justice,” the statement read.
CRRAN noted that although the Attorney General’s office wrote to the magistrate court requesting the transfer of the case file for review, “the file has still not been sent, and the innocent citizen continues to languish in detention.”
Omotayo added that the group’s findings at the Ministry of Justice revealed that the delay in transmitting case files from magistrates’ courts was widespread.
“Some case files from magistrates’ courts outside Enugu metropolis take up to two years before being forwarded to the office of the Attorney General,” he said, describing the situation as a major obstacle to the effective administration of justice.
He lamented that such practices hinder the Ministry of Justice from performing its statutory duties efficiently, despite the state government’s substantial investments in strengthening the justice system.
“If we are to achieve an efficient justice administration in this state, these illegalities and abnormalities being perpetrated by public officials at the magistrates’ courts must be urgently addressed, especially as these courts are the closest to the people,” CRRAN stated.
The group urged the state government to take immediate steps to correct the situation and demanded swift action to ensure that no innocent citizen suffers unjustly.
“We call on the government to act with urgency to ensure that justice is done in these matters, as the circumstances demand,” Omotayo said.
