By ADE ADESOMOJU, Abuja

The Federal High Court has designated three judges to hear urgent cases during the ongoing lockdown imposed by the Federal Government in Abuja as well as Lagos and Ogun States to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chief Judge of the court, Justice John Tsoho, issued the directive following the extension of the lockdown by the Federal Government on Monday.

n official of the court, Oby Nwandu, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

According to the statement, the three judges are to sit at designated divisions of the court.

The judges are, Justices N. E Maha for the Abuja Judicial Division, Justice Muslim Muslim Hassan for the Lagos Division, and Justice H.I.O Oshomah for the Port Harcourt Division.

Nwandu noted that the Chief Judge had earlier on April 10 issued a roster of judges designated to sit during the court’s Easter vacation.

The statement said the amendment of the earlier notice of the court’s Easter vacation was necessary due to “thelockdown occasioned by the ravaging Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) with accompanying continuousrestriction of both vehicular and human movements as orderedby both the Federal and State Governments, the Easter Vacation Roster has been amended.”

The Chief Judge’s fresh directive came as a reversal of the court’s earlier position that it could not conduct any sitting while the Federal Government’s lockdown directive was still in place. (The PUNCH)