Slow justice delivery accounts for 198,432 pending court cases, leaves many in jail, businesses in limbo

According to news reports, the challenges of the slow justice delivery system in Nigeria have continued to take a toll on Nigeria’s socio-economic existence with over 198,432 cases pending at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Magistracy, Federal and Appeal Courts. As of the 2022/2023 legal year, the total number of pending cases in the Court of Appeal is 39,526. The President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensen, disclosed this during the 2023/2024 legal year ceremony. Also, the chief judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho at a similar ceremony to mark the 2022/2023 legal year and 50th anniversary of the court stated that there were 144,910 pending cases at the end of the last legal year. A similar number exists at the Magistracy of the FCT, which according to Chief Judge (CJ) Husseini Baba-Yusuf stands at 13,996 covering both civil and criminal matters. The situation is not different at other courts such as the National Industrial Court, the High Court of States, the Customary Court of Appeal of States, and the Sharia Court of Appeal of States. The direct consequences of these high dockets are seen in the congestion of Correctional Centres because of pretrial inmates, the dearth of artisans with technical skills that can drive innovations, and the economic blight that comes with the slow dispensation of justice. According to the Nigeria Correctional Centre (NCS), as of February 6, a total of 54,124 inmates are awaiting trial across Nigeria. In addition, the Nigerian government spends N5,412,400 daily “on paper” to feed those awaiting trial inmates.