CJC Resolves 70 Land Disputes In Imo

The Imo State Community Justice Centre (CJC) in Owerri, on Thursday said they have resolved 70 land disputes, out of the 185 cases handled during its one year pilot phase.

This is even as the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HIIL), has announced that the centre will be formally handed over to stakeholders on Friday, marking the start of its scaling phase to Imo State people.

HIIL County Representative, Dr Ijeoma Nwafor made the disclosure during a press conference at the centre.

According to Nwafor, the CJC opened on 27th March 2025 after the Justice Innovation Lab process identified land issues, family disputes, and gender-based violence as the most pressing justice needs in Imo.


She said the centre runs as a hybrid centre with a physical office and an online platform, where justice seekers have access to alternative dispute resolution, legal information, and referrals for legal aid, psychosocial support, and medical assistance.


According to her,185 cases were received, 103 resolved while 52 disputes were still active.

Nwafor said “of these cases resolved ,land disputes accounted for 70, family disputes for 57 and domestic violence for 42 with domestic violence cases handled through trauma – informed, high sensitive pathways prioritising survival safety psychological counseling and secure referrals to appropriate legal services”.

She said to address land disputes in Imo and southern states, communities should begin to produce documents for landed properties for their people as people still rely on word of mouth by elderly persons that can be disputed.

“I think it is time that our villages and communities begin to produce land documents to the people and families that own lands because we rely too much on word of mouth here in Imo.

“Again, we need to start sensitizing our people about writing their wills to stop dispute over land as it is the root cause of most conflicts in Imo State. I know some people feel somehow about writing a will but it remains one of the best ways to address property issues in southern states”.


Nwafor disclosed that the CJC reached over 5 million people through the “Justice Voice” radio programme, which ran for a year and provided information on legal rights and dispute resolution options.

She said all cases were tracked on the ImoJustMove digital platform to ensure accountability, during which NYSC members, including young lawyers, joined the centre to support case monitoring, legal advice, and follow-up.

According to the HIIL country rep, the handover on Friday now places the CJC under a multi-sectoral Steering Committee made up of the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Nigerian Bar Association, traditional institution, and civil society groups that will provide strategic oversight ahead of full integration into the state justice architecture.

“The CJC has shown, in one year, what is possible when justice is designed around the people it serves. This handover is not an ending, it is the beginning of the CJC’s life as a sustainable institution, and we are proud that other communities are already asking for their own.”

Chairman of the steering committee who is the traditional ruler of Egbelu Obube autonomous community, Eze Jude Nwaogu expressed hopes that the state government will take over the CJC.

Nwaogu said many justice seekers even ask for transport support amidst the free services provided saying, “Many justice seekers ask us for transport support even when we provide them with alternative dispute resolutions to their concerns”.