The Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch, Adeniyi Quadri, Esq., has called on Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to ensure the completion and commissioning of the historic Igbosere High Court Complex before the end of his administration in May 2027.
Quadri made the call in a statement titled “Let Justice Have a Home: A Call for the Completion of Igbosere Court Complex and the Rehabilitation of Court Facilities in Lagos State.”
He said the prolonged reconstruction of the court complex had become a matter deserving urgent attention, stressing that adequate court infrastructure is fundamental to the effective administration of justice in Lagos State.
The Igbosere High Court Complex was destroyed during the unrest of October 2020. The Lagos State Government subsequently provided a temporary court facility at Osborne, while the permanent reconstruction of Igbosere was later commenced. Governor Sanwo-Olu formally performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the redevelopment on December 12, 2022.
According to Quadri, while the scale of the reconstruction project and the work already carried out should be acknowledged, the major question now is when the completed facility will finally be delivered to the judiciary and the people of Lagos.
“We are not asking for another groundbreaking ceremony. We are not asking for another announcement. We are asking for completion and commissioning,” he said.
He challenged the state government to disclose the present status of the project, outstanding works, funding position, any contractual or administrative challenges affecting delivery, and a realistic date for completion.
Quadri particularly urged the Governor to commit his administration to delivering the complex before May 2027.
He argued that justice infrastructure should not be treated as a secondary government priority, noting that the judiciary is an independent arm of government whose working environment ought to reflect the importance of its constitutional responsibilities.
The NBA Ikeja Chairman also widened the conversation beyond Igbosere, calling for a comprehensive audit and rehabilitation of court facilities across Lagos State.
According to him, concerns in some court facilities include electricity, ventilation and air-conditioning, sanitation, elevators, security, seating and waiting areas, parking and accessibility for persons living with disabilities.
He proposed a long-term Justice Infrastructure Programme that would cover the rehabilitation of dilapidated courts, provision of new courtrooms where necessary, modern registries, reliable electricity and water supply, ICT infrastructure, electronic recording and case-management systems, improved security and a structured maintenance programme.
Quadri acknowledged ongoing investment by the Lagos State Government in justice-sector infrastructure and referred to projects such as the renovated J.I.C. Taylor Courthouse and the Commercial Court in Tapa, but maintained that the ultimate measure of government spending must be the delivery of completed and functional facilities.
He consequently asked the Sanwo-Olu administration to publish a clear completion roadmap for Igbosere, provide periodic updates on the project, undertake a statewide audit of court infrastructure and establish a sustainable justice-infrastructure programme capable of surviving successive administrations.
Describing Igbosere as an important part of the history of Lagos and the Nigerian judiciary, Quadri said its restoration would represent more than the completion of another government construction project.
He said:
“Six years after the destruction of the original complex, the time for indefinite waiting should be over.”
The NBA Ikeja Chairman concluded with a call for action: “Let justice have a home. Let Igbosere rise again. Let it be completed.”
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