Alia bans protests, other activities in Benue courts

The Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has banned protests and other activities within court premises in the state.

The governor announced the ban in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Tersoo Kula, in Makurdi.

He said only local election petition tribunal sittings would be allowed on the premises due to the time-sensitive nature of their assignments.

The governor noted that court premises in Benue had remained closed since December 6, 2024, due to the ongoing Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) strike.

Alia said: “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.

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“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 law and order, all forms of protest, unauthorised gathering, or commercial activities such as hawking within and around the court premises have been banned.”

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