Ikeja court proceedings conducted with touch lights when power failed.

Majority of judges in Ikeja division of the Lagos State High Court, yesterday, conducted their proceedings in darkness due to persistent power outage. As early as 9.00 a.m, lawyers and litigants, who prepared to conduct their cases, were disappointed as several of the judges, particularly those in the new big building, could not sit.

Vanguard observed that the persistent power outage in the court in the past one week got to its peak, because the courts could not initially sit until about 11 am when one of the power generating sets for the building was switched on.

Thirty minutes after the power was brought back, the generating set went off, prompting some of the judges to stall their proceedings. Judges who were conducting their cases, however, opted to continue proceedings with torchlights to conclude their cases. Vanguard observed that one of the judges, Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, continued proceedings with a torchlight to avoid disruption. Lawyers who were in the court were not left out as they were forced to use lights from their phones since the courtroom was in darkness.

Justice Onigbanjo, however, rose about 10 minutes after he was unable to continue with the proceedings. At Justice Kudirat Jose’s court, where the bail application for Lagos lawyer, Mr Fred Ajudua, was billed to be heard, the judge conducted part of her court proceedings in darkness for about five minutes before stepping out of the bench to her chambers, while all cases before her were adjourned.

Vanguard