Our substantial records are intact, Lagos Chief Judge reacts to attack on Nigeria’s oldest Court

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Our substantial records are intact, Lagos Chief Judge reacts to attack on Nigeria’s oldest Court

The Igbosere High Court building came under attack by some hoodlums who on October 22 wreaked havoc and completely vandalized it.

The hoodlums were said to have spent hours burning vehicles, vital documents, case files and looted properties including furniture, refrigerators, and air conditioners.

Chief Judge of Lagos State, Kazeem Alogba in an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday said substantial records of the court were not affected as wrongly believed by many.

He said the archives remain intact.

“Fortunately, it is not all our records that are lost. In some of the key areas, we still have substantial part of our records intact. Like our archives and the probate registry, to a reasonable extent, some of our records are still intact.

“We are working day and night to ensure that we find alternative accommodation for our judges and magistrates and they will soon start sitting,” he said.

While the impact of the damage done on the High Court is still been studied, the Chief Judge said reconstructing the building will cost over a billion naira.

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Hoodlums set Igbosere High court on fire

He said, “in terms of equipment and other items vandalized. It is also almost one billion. We have several vehicles there. All our computers, the air conditioners, the refrigerators and all sorts of electrical gadgets. Even the furniture.”

The court is however planning a comeback soonest.

We are going to reconstruct our case files. We are not going to look back, we are looking forward. This is a temporary set-back.

“These are trying times and we must go through it, but we are going to come out of it brilliantly.”

Igbosere High Court was one of the structures left devastated by the activities of hoodlums last week in Lagos State.

The city was ravaged by hoodlums in the days after the #EndSARS protest, leaving many parts of the state with the burnt buildings, looted shops, and destroyed properties.

Igbosere High court which is the oldest in Nigeria was not spared as the courtrooms were burnt, vandalised, and left in ruins.