The Bayelsa Government and lawyers in the state have decried the closure of Federal High Court and National Industrial Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa capital, for six months.

Two judges presiding over the courts are currently answering to allegations of corruption.

The judges are Justice Terse Agbadu-Fishin of the National Industrial Court and Justice Aliya Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court.

Reacting to the development, on Friday, Mr Kemeasuode Wodu, Bayelsa Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, said that the government of Bayelsa was worried over the non-sitting of the two judges for six months.

He explained that the development had taken a heavy toll on the dispensation of justice in the state affecting litigants, lawyers and those awaiting trial.

He said that the Bayelsa Government had taken steps by appealing to the leadership of the judiciary at the federal level to ensure that the situation was remedied.

“I personally led a delegation of Yenagoa and Sagbama branches of Nigerian Bar Association to the Chief Judge of Nigeria, Chief Judge of Federal High Court and Chief Judge of National Industrial Court to draw their attention.

“In addition to the visits, we also wrote letters and we got assurances that the matter would be looked into, may be we can take further steps by reminding them because six months is a long time,” Wodu said.

Also speaking, Chairman of Bayelsa chapter of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Mr Eric Derie, noted that the non-sitting of the two courts has adversely affected lawyers in the state as their cases have suffered delays with associated pains on their clients.

Derie said that the judges were yet to be tried and urged the leadership of the courts to either re-instate them pending when the government is ready to try them or replace them.

“The non-availability of the judges for a period of six months has delayed a lot of cases and those courts are indeed very busy courts ranking amongst the busiest courts in Nigeria.

“On the average they list about 20 cases daily and we do not want to see a situation where people will resort to self help,” Derie said.

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