Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Judicial activities were effectively paralysed across major court centres in Ogun State on Monday as lawyers under the aegis of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) commenced a three-day boycott of court proceedings to protest what they described as "inimical" policies introduced by the state judiciary, including a controversial ₦100,000 fee for virtual hearings. The boycott, which is being observed by the NBA branches in Abeokuta, Sagamu, and Ota, began on Monday, 6 July 2026, and is scheduled to run through Wednesday, 8 July 2026, leaving litigants and lawyers from outside the state stranded at court premises in Isabo and the state judiciary complex in Kobape.
Speaking with journalists after monitoring compliance across magistrates' and high courts in Abeokuta, the Chairman of the NBA Abeokuta Branch, Chief Kayode Aderemi, said the lawyers resolved to embark on the industrial action after repeated engagements with the judiciary leadership failed to yield results. He listed three key policies as the triggers for the protest: the imposition of a ₦100,000 fee for each virtual court session, an increase in the oath administration fee from ₦200 to over ₦1,500, and a restriction limiting lawyers to processing only four witness oaths per day.
Aderemi explained that the virtual hearing fee effectively blocks access to justice for litigants who cannot afford the steep charge. "This means that any litigant who wishes to have a matter heard virtually must pay ₦100,000 for each virtual session," he said. On the oath administration fee hike, he noted that clients had complained about the increase, and lawyers were constantly being questioned by their clients over the rising costs. He also questioned the rationality of the restriction on witness oaths, asking: "If I have 15 or more witnesses in a case, what happens? We believe this policy unjustifiably limits the ability of lawyers to carry out their professional duties".
Aderemi stressed that the NBA had done everything reasonably possible to engage the judiciary and explain why the policies should be reviewed. "We have written formally as a branch. Other NBA branches in Ogun State have also written on these issues. Beyond that, we have raised these concerns during the Bar and Bench meetings, where branch chairmen, branch secretaries, administrative judges and the Chief Judge are all present. We have discussed these matters repeatedly," he said. He added that respected senior members of the Bar had also approached their Lordships in an effort to resolve the issues, but all efforts had proved unsuccessful.
The NBA chairman said compliance within the jurisdiction was almost 100 per cent, though a few lawyers from outside may not have been aware of the boycott. He confirmed that the boycott was being observed by the NBA Abeokuta, Ota, and Sagamu branches, and monitoring so far showed the exercise was a huge success. The boycott has paralysed judicial activities at courts in Abeokuta, Ota, and Sagamu, including the state high court complex, with litigants and lawyers from outside the state caught unawares and left stranded.
However, the Chief Registrar of the Ogun State High Court, Olakulehin Oke, said the judiciary had not received any official communication from the NBA regarding the boycott, only becoming aware of the action through social media. He defended the ₦100,000 virtual sitting fee, arguing that technology comes with a cost. "Establishing, maintaining, and operating virtual court facilities requires significant investment. Since the introduction, virtual courtrooms have been installed in nine of the 11 judicial divisions and over 600 virtual hearings have been conducted. We have had witnesses testify from Australia, Canada, and the United States. Many litigants have benefited," he said.
On the oath fee hike, Oke explained that it followed the digitalisation of the judiciary through an electronic affidavit system in partnership with a tech company. He noted that similar systems operate in Oyo, Ondo, Rivers, the Federal Capital Territory, and Lagos, adding that "only Lagos charges less than Ogun because it has a larger volume of users as the busiest judicial jurisdiction in Nigeria". Oke also disclosed that the virtual hearing fee provision was introduced under the High Court of Ogun State (Civil Procedure) Rules 2024 after extensive consultation with NBA branches across the state. He insisted that established channels for dialogue existed and expressed surprise that the NBA had resorted to a boycott without following proper notification procedures.
The standoff highlights the growing tension between the Bar and the Bench in Ogun State over the increasing cost of accessing justice and the digitalisation of court processes. While the judiciary argues that the fees are necessary to sustain technology-driven reforms that have improved efficiency and enabled remote participation, the lawyers contend that the charges are prohibitive and restrict access to justice for ordinary litigants. The boycott is expected to last three days, and it remains unclear whether the Ogun State Judiciary will initiate any dialogue to resolve the impasse before the boycott concludes. As the protest enters its second day, litigants, lawyers, and judicial officers across the affected divisions await the outcome of what has become a major test of the relationship between the legal profession and the judiciary in Ogun State.
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