... NBA demands improved security at court premises
The remains of Late Magistrate Nnaemeka Chinonye Ugboma, Chairman of Obudiagwa Customary Court who was gruesomely murdered by suspected assailants while presiding over a court session on 2nd February, 2023 has been buried.
At the special court session held in honour of the deceased, legal practitioners of several hierarchy in the state, decried the unabated spate of insecurity in the state and the country at large.
While regretting the circumstance that led to the sudden death of the late Magistrate, they urged the government and security agencies to provide adequate security at court premises to prevent future occurrence and to guarantee safety of members of the bar and bench in the state.
Speaking, Ugochukwu Alinnor, Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Owerri Branch, said, "the loss of His Worship late Nnaemeka Chinonye Ugboma lays emphasis on the security gaps which endanger our judiciary, the judicial officers and staff in the line of duty. Hence, it calls for urgent attention and proactive steps in this regard.
"The security of our courts, the judicial officers and the staff that man these courts should be of paramount importance and should therefore be beefed up to forestall attacks on them in the discharge of their duties.
"Security personnel should be posted to all the courts in the State and orderlies attached to the judicial officers to nip in the bud any plan to attack the court."
"We beckon on the Government of Imo State and that of the Federation, as we mourn the death of His Worship Nnaemeka Chinonye Ugboma, to reconsider the security measures and architecture currently in place so as to forestall further eventuality."
Also, the Learned Cork cum oldest lawyer of Imo NBA, Chief Peter Mgbenwelu said, "before the 11th of January, 1965 when I was called to the Nigerian Bar and ever since, I could not have imagined that a member of our noble profession can be so brazenly and brutally murdered in a similar and venue.
"I have said this many times that our country at present must do honest review of the past, Frank appraisal of the present and plan truly for tomorrow or else our inescapable expectation can only be apocalyptic."
The Chief Judge of the state, Justice Chukwuemeka Chikeka, represented by Justice Theophilus Nzekwu in his remark added, "that he (late Ugboma) was shot and killed while performing his adjudication functions has once more emphasized the need for a more pragmatic approach to the issue of security and safety of all those who sit in judgment."
Also, a member of the deceased family who spoke on basis of anonymity, expressed concern that despite the assurances from both the state government and the police, killers of their brother were yet to be neither arrested nor prosecuted, eight months after.
He said, "yes we know that we can not do anything about his death now but we still appeal that effort must be made to ensure that our late brother receives justice.
"It is most unfortunate that after eight months of his death, his killers are still out there without paying the price of their ungodly action. We are traumatised by this singular issue because we all want justice for him."
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