Lagos courts and ‘justice in darkness’

It is not because of the unavailability of court cases to preside over. Lagos courts have stream of cases every day. But judges of the Ikeja High Court now vacate the court premises not later than 3.00pm every day because of poor electricity supply. Eko Akete gathered that the court has not had power supply for weeks,  resorting to using generating sets to light the courtrooms, an alternative which serves the court until 3.00pm.

Once darkness descends on the courtrooms, the judges vacate the premises. On a certain day Eko Akete checked in, a judge who couldn’t bear the heat in the court room stormed out of a proceeding after parting with the statement, “Gentlemen and ladies of the court, we may have to adjourn seeing that no justice can be ascertained in darkness”.