Lawyer questions special Court of Appeal sitting in Plateau State

A lawyer named Chidi Anselm has raised issues about a special sitting of the Court of Appeal planned for Shendam Local Government Area in Plateau State. He believes this event could misuse judicial power.

Anselm shared his concerns in a statement on X ahead of the special sitting set for Saturday. This sitting is part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Court of Appeal.

According to Anselm, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, the president of the court, announced that the sitting would take place in Ngootuguut, Shendam Local Government Area. He argues that this location is not an official seat of the Court of Appeal.

"The Court session will be presided over by Monica Dongban-Mensem, President of the Court of Appeal. The sitting will be held at Ngwa Rina Ngoot Long Shendam Local Government Council. It is not a seat of the court," the lawyer stated.

He also claimed that the venue was chosen because it is the hometown of the Court of Appeal president. "The only reason is that this is also the hometown of the President of the Court of Appeal," he said.

Anselm mentioned that certain cases are on the agenda for this special sitting. He criticized a directive that invited members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Shendam Branch, to attend the sitting “as a mark of courtesy” and to “show solidarity” with the Court of Appeal president.

"There is only one name for this, let’s be clear. It is abuse of power," he alleged.

Documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES indicate that the Ngootuguut Development Association invited guests for the opening of a newly built Magistrate Court in Ngootuguut on June 13. The invitation was signed by the association’s president, Yitnoe Tsenpet, and described the project as a significant step for access to justice in the area.

Another letter from Francisca Mesiobi-Emeto, the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal, Jos Division, invited the chairman of the NBA Shendam Branch to the special sitting for the court’s 50th anniversary.

This letter noted that the anniversary event is scheduled for June 17 at the Court of Appeal premises in Jos.

The Court of Appeal, established in 1976, is Nigeria’s middle appellate court. It operates in specific judicial divisions throughout the country.

As of now, the Court of Appeal has not publicly addressed the allegations made by the lawyer about the planned sitting in Shendam. Attempts to get comments from officials of the Court of Appeal were unsuccessful.