Anambra Judge Threatens to Boycott Sitting Over Disobedience To Court Orders

A judge of the Anambra State High Court, Justice Promise Otti, has threatened to stop sitting if the disobedience to her court’s orders continues.

Visibly angry when she entered the court on Thursday, Justice Otti of High Court 3, Awka Judicial Division, told lawyers and litigants that she had come only to announce that she had decided to stop sitting until proper explanations were given for the non-compliance with orders made by her court.

For instance, she stated that she had ordered against the further arrest of some litigants in a matter before her court. However, some police operatives from the Force Headquarters, Abuja, came around 8 pm, arrested the litigants, and whisked them away to Abuja, citing “conducts likely to cause a breach of peace.”

“I only came to inform you that I have decided to stop sitting because it is a waste of time for me to continue sitting when the orders made by the court are not being obeyed.

“This court made an order barring further arrest of some litigants in a matter before this court, pending the determination of the substantive case. Yet, some police officers from Abuja came without any court order and abducted these litigants, taking them to Abuja for ‘conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.’

“I have decided not to sit again until the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Aderemi Adeoye, comes and explains to the court why the police, who are supposed to enforce the court’s orders, are disobeying them.

“Nigeria has just become very lawless, and I am no longer ready to be wasting my time coming here to sit and make orders that will not be obeyed,” she insisted.