Gov. Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has banned protests and other activities within court premises with immediate effect.
The governor’s spokesperson, Tersoo Kula announced the ban on Tuesday in Makurdi.
Alia said only local election petition tribunal sittings will be allowed due to the time-sensitive nature of their assignments, adding that court premises in the state had remained closed since Dec. 6, 2024, due to the ongoing Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) strike.
“Consequently, all individuals and groups are directed to refrain from carrying out any form of activity within or around the court premises until further notice.
“We acknowledge that the local government election petition tribunals are utilising some court halls for their proceedings.
“Recognising the time-bound nature of election petitions, only the election petition tribunals will be allowed access to the designated court premises where they are sitting.
“To ensure the safety and security of all concerned, necessary security measures have been put in place to protect members of the tribunals, petitioners, respondents, their legal representatives, witnesses and the tribunal secretariat.
“In the interest of maintaining law and order, any form of protest, unauthorised gathering, or commercial activities such as hawking within and around the court premises have been banned,” Alia said.
Alia said anyone found violating the directive would face legal consequences.
The governor guaranteed a peaceful atmosphere for the continued sittings of the tribunal in the open court in Benue, ensuring that due process was followed without any form of interference.
