COVID-19: Kogi Judiciary deploys electronic platform for court processes

This is part of measures to ensure that courts sit and dispense of cases during the partial lockdown of the state over the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Ajanah disclosed this in a statement signed by Mr Abel Enefola, Chief Registrar of the state High Court and made available to newsmen on Thursday in Lokoja.

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He said the use of the electronic platform was in furtherance to his earlier directive to all divisions of the state High Court to render skeletal services and entertain “Urgent and Criminal matters and remand proceedings only.”

The Chief Judge held that this was in line with the ongoing process of the domestication of the Nigerian Judiciary Information Technology Policy (JITPO) which the state judiciary had since adopted.

He added that the approval was to further reinforce the stance and determination of the Judiciary to always bring the courts closer to the people with professional efficiency and effectiveness regardless of any prevailing circumstance.

“In spite of the skeletal services being rendered by the courts in the state, litigants, lawyers and the general public are assured that the state judiciary is determined to always bring the courts closer to the people.

“Those desirous of the services of the courts in the state during this period of partial lockdown of civil service in the state, are to link up with the courts in the state through an e-mail account on [email protected]”, he said.

He assured prosecuting entities, lawyers and litigants with interests in such urgent criminal matters and members of the public who interfaced with relevant officers of the courts through the platform the Judiciary’s usual serviced.

He also assured that enquiries and all other demands would be met with utmost dispatch and accorded the normal attention with deserved confidentiality through the same means.

Ajanah said that designated registries of the courts were still opened to the public for such urgent criminal matters adding that should the need arose for personal contact with an enquirer or concerned party, the needful would be done.

The chief judge however, cautioned members of the public against possible abuse of the e-mail platform, saying the Judiciary Information Technology Policy had in-built regulators among other measures to check untoward activities.

NAN