As tension continues to heighten in Benue State over the removal of the State Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese, Tribunal judges handling various cases in the state’s Local Government Elections Petitions Tribunal and their respective lawyers have boycotted sittings over what they termed ‘brewing tensed security situation around the courts’.

The duo expressed worry that the current state of affairs at the courts in the state has created serious security threats to them and noted with fear the safety of their team of lawyers and clients if they insist on sitting.

The State House of Assembly, acting on the orders of Governor Hyacinth Alia had removed Justice Ikpambese from office over allegations concerning corruption, which were bruised aside as untrue by the embattled judge just as the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) had kicked against the removal describing it as null and void and did not follow due process.

New Telegraph which has been following the trend of events as they unfolded gathered that shortly after the purported removal of the state chief judge, trips of sharp sand and green leaves were deposited at the entrance of the High Court with hordes of “security personnel”, stationed at the court premises to prevent the embattled CJ from accessing his office.

In separate letters addressed to the Chairman of the Benue State Election Petitions Tribunal signed by Lead Counsels for all the respondents in all the petitions pending before the three senatorial districts of the state (Zones A, B and C), made available to journalists in Makurdi, said they unanimously stayed away from the sittings and requested that until the security lapses are addressed, they won’t resume sittings.

The lawyers, PP. S.I Ameh (SAN) & CO (Solicitors) of S.I. Ameh (SAN) & CO Legal Practitioners, Notaries Public & Arbitrators; Ndarani (SAN) & CO of (Solace Law Chambers) Legal Practitioners, Notaries Public, Consultants & Arbitrators, No. 18 Tunis Street, Wuse Zone 6, Abuja, FCT as well as Matthew Burkaa & Co. Legal Practitioners | Notary Public | Arbitrators, in their letters said: “our reservations are premised on reliable information at our disposal indicative of potential threat of violence on the welfare and safety of our team of lawyers should they attend tribunal sitting on the said date of yesterday”.

According to them, the Secretary of the Tribunals, Awuhe Msughter Emmanuel had earlier sent correspondences to them via the Local Government Petition Tribunal Makurdi Whatsapp group informing them about the sittings but decided to back out due to the worsening insecurity situation bedevilling the courts in the state.

“Our reservation is premised on reliable information at our disposal indicative of potential threat of violence on the welfare and safety of our team of lawyers should they attend the tribunal sitting on the said date being 24° February 2025”.

“On the premises of the foregoing therefore, we humbly request that steps be taken immediately to beef up the security arrangement around the sitting venues with a view to protect the lives of our team of lawyers and clients.

“We therefore, respectfully further request that while the security concerns are being addressed, the Tribunal sitting be adjourned to a later date when adequate and necessary security measures would have been put in place to guarantee our collective safety.

“We are optimistic that our request will be given immediate and adequate due consideration”.