Trial judge of High Court 4, Minna, in Niger State, Justice Mohammed Mohammed, has likened the condition of courtrooms in the state to prisons. He said the courtrooms lack basic facilities for humans to function optimally.
Justice Mohammed stated this yesterday during the sitting of the court when the room became hot and almost unbearable for lawyers and litigants to continue the proceedings.
The judge spoke when he noticed that all the people in the courtroom were sweating and fanning themselves with papers.
The only air conditioner in the courtroom was not functioning properly which prompted him to ask the court clerk to bring in a standing fan.
Justice Mohammed halted the proceedings for almost five minutes to plead with the Bar to bear with him on the situation.
Curiously, the standing fan like the air conditioner did not work when it was brought in and the court had to resume proceedings under the same harsh condition.
He said, “Please bear with us, I can see that the courtroom is a little bit uncomfortable. We have air conditioner that is not functioning properly. As you can see, these chairs in the courtroom have been here since 1986. I even have to fix some of them when I came in”.
The judge continued, “This is the reason why it is said that prisons and courtrooms look alike in Niger State. It is unfair, the executive arm of government is not treating the judiciary fairly.”
