Kidnappers Of Edo State Judge Yet To Contact Family, As Edo Judges, Lawyers And Judicial Staff Resolve To Boycott Court

Kidnappers of Edo State High Court Judge, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, who was abducted on his way to resume at the Ekpoma Division of the high court last week, are yet to make contact with the family.

No ransom demand had been made, nor communications established by the kidnappers.

Meanwhile, Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSON at a meeting this weekend in Benin, directed its members to stay at home for seven days effective from Wednesday, if the judge was not released.

Edo State branch Treasurer of JUSON, Alex Osigbemhe, said that their decision to boycott all judicial activities in the state pending the unconditional release of Justice Okungbowa was total, insisting that the kidnap of lawyers and judges in the state was becoming an embarrassment.

Also, judges in the state have resolved to shun the courts in protest over the abduction of Justice Okungbowa.

The action of the judges is coming on the heels of the resolution by the Benin branch of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, to boycott all courts in the state until Justice Okungbowa was released unhurt and unconditionally.

Courts allegedly shunned by NBA last week were Court of Appeal, Benin Division, Federal High Court, all state high court, magistrate courts, customary courts, and district customary courts.