Ogun judiciary's steep fees spark lawyers' three-day court walkout

Members of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) across its Abeokuta, Sagamu, and Ota branches initiated a three-day abstention from court proceedings on Monday, July 6, 2026. This action is a direct protest against what they term “unfavourable policies” recently introduced by the Ogun State judiciary, notably a N100,000 levy for virtual court sessions.

Following observations of compliance at various magistrates’ and high courts in Abeokuta, Chief Kayode Aderemi, the Chairman of the NBA Abeokuta Branch, informed journalists that this decision came after repeated, yet unsuccessful, discussions with the judiciary.

Aderemi highlighted the main grievances driving the protest: the newly imposed N100,000 charge for virtual hearings, a significant increase in fees for oath administration, and limitations placed on the processing of affidavits by legal practitioners.

He stated, “We are here today because members of our branch, by resolution at our branch meeting, resolved to embark on a three-day court boycott, beginning today, 6th July 2026, through 8th July 2026.” Aderemi further explained, “The boycott is in protest against certain policies of the Ogun State judiciary which we believe are inimical to the interests of our members.”

Elaborating on the policies, Aderemi explained, “Some of these policies include the payment of a N100,000 virtual hearing fee. This means that any litigant who wishes to have a matter heard virtually must pay N100,000 for each virtual session.” He also pointed out, “There is also the increase in the oath administration fee from N200 to over N1,500. Our clients have complained about this increase, and it has also affected legal practitioners, who are constantly being questioned by their clients.”

The NBA Chairman also addressed the restrictions on lawyers: “Thirdly, there is the issue of restrictions placed on lawyers. As it stands today, lawyers cannot process more than four witness oaths in a single day. The question then is: if I have 15 or more witnesses in a case, what happens? We believe this policy unjustifiably limits the ability of lawyers to carry out their professional duties. These and other related issues are the reasons we have declared this court boycott.”

Aderemi asserted that the association had made numerous attempts to resolve these contentious issues without success. He elaborated, “For instance, we have written formally as a branch. Other NBA branches in Ogun State have also written on these issues. Beyond that, we have raised these concerns during the Bar and Bench meetings, where branch chairmen, branch secretaries, administrative judges, and the Chief Judge are all present. We have discussed these matters repeatedly. In addition, respected senior members of the Bar have approached their Lordships in an effort to resolve these issues. Unfortunately, all these efforts have proved unsuccessful.”

He confirmed that all Abeokuta, Ota, and Sagamu NBA branches were observing the boycott, with initial monitoring indicating strong compliance.

In response, Mr. Olakulehin Oke, the Chief Registrar of the Ogun State High Court, stated that the judiciary had not received any formal communication regarding the boycott from any NBA branch. He noted that the judiciary became aware of the industrial action solely through social media channels. Oke said, “Officially, we have not been informed. As I speak, there has been no official communication from any branch of the Nigerian Bar Association notifying us of any court boycott. We became aware of the boycott the same way many others did—through social media.”

Addressing the N100,000 virtual hearing fee, the Chief Registrar clarified that this provision was incorporated into the High Court of Ogun State (Civil Procedure) Rules 2024 after consultations with NBA branches in the state. He specified that draft rules were circulated to all five NBA branches, but only one branch submitted feedback, primarily identifying typographical errors.

Oke emphasized that virtual hearings are an optional facility, designed to enhance access to justice rather than replace traditional physical court sittings. He explained, “Technology comes with costs. Establishing, maintaining, and operating virtual court facilities requires significant investment.” He added that since these provisions were introduced, nine of the eleven judicial divisions in Ogun State have installed virtual courtrooms, facilitating over 600 successful virtual hearings.

He further highlighted the benefits, stating that witnesses have participated virtually from international locations such as Australia, Canada, and the United States, thereby reducing travel expenses and logistical hurdles.

Regarding the increased affidavit charges, Oke defended them as part of the judiciary’s digitalisation drive, implemented through the OgunComis electronic affidavit platform. He explained that this platform aims to combat forgery, eliminate cash transactions, and improve document authentication, citing similar systems in use in Lagos, Oyo, Ondo, Rivers, and the Federal Capital Territory.

On the affidavit restriction, Oke clarified that this limitation applies exclusively to general affidavits (like change of name, declaration of age, or loss of documents) and not to affidavits linked to ongoing court proceedings. He explained, “There are two categories of affidavits. Court process affidavits, which include witness statements on oath and affidavits connected with pending cases, have no restriction whatsoever. The limitation applies only to general affidavits such as change of name, declaration of age and loss of documents. The policy was introduced to curb abuse, reduce fraudulent activities and enhance security.”

The Chief Registrar expressed regret over the boycott, asserting that discussions were ongoing through the established Bar and Bench Forum. He stated, “The last meeting was held last month. Some of these issues were raised, and we had conversations around them with the chairmen and secretaries of the five NBA branches. For us to now wake up and see press releases without any official communication with the judiciary smacks of an ambush. The legal profession is a profession of ethics and protocols. The Bar and the Bench are partners in the administration of justice, and where there are disagreements, we should always sit down and resolve them through dialogue.”