Osun lawyers urge Adeleke to avert collapse of court buildings

By Shina Abubakar, Osogbo Lawyers in Osun State have raised the alarm over the deteriorating condition of court buildings across the state, urging Governor Ademola Adeleke to urgently intervene to prevent further decline in the administration of justice. The lawyers, under the aegis of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), representing the five branches in Osogbo, Ikirun, Iwo, Ile-Ife and Ilesa, said dilapidated buildings and inadequate facilities were disrupting court proceedings and undermining justice delivery.

In a letter to the governor dated October 29, 2026, and received at the Governor’s Office on November 2, the association called for the comprehensive rehabilitation, renovation and modernisation of court buildings and facilities across the state. The letter was signed by the chairmen of the five branches: Maruf Adediran (Osogbo), Abdulkareem Azeez (Ikirun), Emmanuel Gbadegesin (Iwo), Olawoye Festus (Ile-Ife) and Adefunso Esan (Ilesa).

According to the lawyers, several court buildings have deteriorated to the extent that they threaten the dignity of the judicial institution and expose judicial officers, legal practitioners, litigants and witnesses to avoidable hardship. They identified leaking roofs, damaged ceilings, inadequate seating arrangements and other infrastructural deficiencies as major concerns.

The association said rainwater entering some courtrooms had forced proceedings to be interrupted or suspended, resulting in unnecessary adjournments and delays. “It is unacceptable that court proceedings in a state governed by the rule of law should be dictated by the weather because the buildings in which justice is administered cannot adequately withstand rainfall,” the lawyers stated.

They said the problem extended beyond courtrooms to the office of the Chief Judge and the chambers of other judicial officers, raising concerns about the safety of court records, official documents, furniture and electronic equipment exposed to water leakage. The association urged the state government to conduct a comprehensive audit of facilities across the High Court, Customary Court of Appeal, Magistrates’ Courts and District Customary Courts.

It said the exercise should cover affected locations, including Osogbo, Ikirun, Ilesa, Ile-Ife, Iwo and Ede. Beyond structural repairs, the lawyers called for modern judicial equipment, including electronic case management systems, digital recording devices and computers, as well as adequate funding for maintenance and training of judicial and registry personnel.

They also urged the government to prioritise emergency repairs to buildings posing safety risks and involve the judiciary and NBA in identifying needs, setting project priorities and monitoring improvements, while respecting judicial independence. “Our appeal is not merely about the physical appearance of court buildings; it concerns the ability of a critical institution of government to discharge its constitutional responsibilities effectively and the ability of the people of Osun State to access justice without avoidable hardship,” the letter stated.

The lawyers added that judicial officers should not be left to administer justice in buildings with leaking roofs, inadequate courtroom facilities or offices that expose personnel and court records to preventable risks. They also stressed the need to equip courts with modern facilities and technology to improve efficiency and strengthen public confidence in the justice system, adding that the welfare of judicial officers was important to effective justice delivery.