By Ikechukwu Nnochiri, ABUJA

The Federal Government, on Monday, urged the judiciary to expedite hearings on cases involving terrorism, human trafficking, kidnapping and similar serious crimes.

According to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the judiciary, as the guardian of justice and the custodian of the rule of law, “must lend its weight to national efforts to combat insecurity.”

The AGF spoke at a ceremony the Court of Appeal held to mark the commencement of its 2025/2026 Legal Year.

Commending the appellate court for introducing special sittings across its divisions to tackle case congestion, the justice minister said the initiative demonstrated responsiveness to public concerns about delays in the dispensation of justice.

He said: “It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge that in recent months, the judiciary has come under public scrutiny and criticism, often marked by misrepresentations of judicial decisions in the public space.

“These criticisms, whether fair or misplaced, remind us of the delicate balance between judicial authority, public trust and perception.

“Yet, let it be said clearly: criticism of the judiciary is a testament to the central role it plays in our democracy.

“At this solemn juncture in our national life, it is also impossible to ignore the grave challenge of insecurity that confronts our country. From insurgency and terrorism to banditry, kidnapping, and violent crimes, these threats imperil not only the safety of our citizens but also the very fabric of our constitutional democracy.

“The judiciary, as the guardian of justice and the custodian of the rule of law, must lend its weight to national efforts to combat insecurity.

“Through firm, consistent, and courageous adjudication, the courts can ensure that those who threaten peace and stability are held accountable, that impunity is dismantled, and that the sanctity of human life and property is protected.

“The judicial system’s effectiveness strengthens when terrorism cases receive swift hearings and resolutions which demonstrates that terrorism faces immediate and decisive legal action.

“The Federal Government remains deeply committed to combating terrorism through a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic strategies. It recognises that the swift administration of justice is a vital complement to military and intelligence operations.

“Accordingly, rather than resorting to indiscriminate detention or relying solely on battlefield engagements, the government is focused on the timely prosecution of suspects implicated in mass-casualty attacks, kidnap-for-ransom networks, extremist recruitment, and terror-financing activities.

“The government is equally mindful that this can only be achieved by enhancing the capacity of the judges who would handle this cases and other cases in the docket of our courts.

“The Government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR is therefore committed to the immediate appointment of additional judges of the Federal High Court to reinforce and boost our national counter-terrorism efforts and ensure that terrorism-related cases and other cases are handled promptly and effectively.

“Let me also seize this opportunity to call on all citizens to unite in confronting the scourge of terrorism. This is a time for collective resolve—not distraction—as we work together to secure our nation.

“While political cases often command public attention and urgency, it is imperative that we also recognize the critical role of commercial litigation in shaping the destiny of our nation. In an era where economic stability and foreign investment are indispensable to national growth, the timely resolution of commercial disputes becomes a matter of public importance.

“I therefore respectfully urge this Honourable Court to accord accelerated hearing to commercial cases whose outcomes bear directly on the economy, investor confidence, and the prosperity of our people,” the AGF added.

Meanwhile, in her speech, President of the Court of Appeal, PCA, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, decried the backlog of cases awaiting judicial attention.

“Electoral matters consume our time and energy,” the PCA lamented, even as she urged lawyers to always encourage their clients to accept amicable settlement of cases through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

“Although the general elections are behind us, electoral litigation remained a dominant feature of our docket. Post-election disputes from governorship and legislative contests continued to reach the court for off-season elections.

“Endless litigation drains our scarce resources. We are currently in serious debt. We therefore appeal to political actors: democracy cannot flourish if every electoral contest is dragged into the courtroom.

“The spirit of sportsmanship must prevail. We urge politicians to respect the will of the electorate, accept outcomes in good faith, and place the peace and progress of our nation above personal ambition,” Justice Dongban-Mensem added.

The PCA disclosed that during the last legal year, the appellate court received 5,225 appeals and 9,906 motions across its 20 divisions.

She added that while 3,193 appeals were successfully determined with 5,623 motions heard, 2,503 were dismissed while 690 were allowed.

“As at 31st October 2025, the Court has 31,618 Appeals and 3,382 Motions pending.

“When compared with the 2023/2024 Legal Year, a clear improvement emerges. In that year, only 2,299 Appeals were determined, and the number of pending Appeals stood at 41,952.

“The significant reduction in the backlog this year reflects the exceptional commitment and hard work of my brother justices in dispensing justice judiciously and judicially,” she stated, adding that as of October, the ADR centres of the court handled 121 matters, out of which 34 were successfully resolved, 26 cases returned to court for adjudication due to parties being unable to reach consensus, and 61 cases still pending.

On the issue of corruption, the PCA challenged anyone with evidence against any judicial officer to come forward with it.

“We keep hearing of allegations of corruption against judicial officers. Please provide the evidence. Evidence is what we need. Since no one has come up with any evidence to show that we are corrupt, then, we believe we are doing our best even through the discomfort.”

Aside from calling for improvement of welfare of judges, the PCA said there was need for a constitutional amendment to increase the number of justices of the Appeal Court.

Source; Vanguard News