Otti To Commission 10 Digital Court Halls In Abia

Abia State Governor Alex Otti has urged lawyers across the country to embrace modern technology and continuously update their professional knowledge to remain relevant in the evolving legal environment.

Otti also announced that his administration would soon commission 10 newly constructed digital court halls across the state as part of efforts to modernise the judiciary and improve justice delivery.

The governor made the announcement on Tuesday at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia, while addressing participants at the Annual Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL).

He described technological advancement as an emerging reality that legal practitioners must adapt to, noting that the legal profession could no longer operate independently of modern innovations.

“Technology is real. Sometimes we pretend, but the point you raised is very, very critical. It does not call for us to be afraid. It just calls for us to start thinking ahead of time,” Otti said, acknowledging the keynote address delivered by former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Explaining the features of the new court facilities, Otti said they were equipped with renewable energy systems, digital infrastructure, broadband internet connectivity and electronic court records.

He noted that the facilities also had multiple broadband connections to ensure uninterrupted access to digital services.

“Renewable energy, digitalised systems, all the things that you require, including court records. We have been able to digitalise court records.

“So, if you are carrying a file, maybe you like to carry files. Otherwise, everything you need is on your laptop,” he said.

Otti further disclosed that his administration would soon commence the construction of new courts with 1,000-capacity auditoriums in Aba and Umuahia, assuring that the facilities would operate with independent renewable energy sources.

Beyond infrastructure, the governor challenged lawyers to make public-interest advocacy a central part of their professional responsibilities, particularly by offering legal assistance to indigent citizens and vulnerable members of society.

He said the success of the NBA-SPIDEL conference should be measured by its impact on access to justice and the protection of citizens’ fundamental rights.

“Because you are lawyers, we need to go the extra mile of asking ourselves, beyond all the things that have been said, how can we be of service to people who cannot pay? How can we be of service to the vulnerable? How can we help people who, on their own, cannot afford to help themselves?” he asked.

The governor maintained that good governance should not be assessed solely through visible infrastructure such as roads, schools, hospitals and electricity projects, but also through respect for the rule of law and protection of citizens’ rights.

He disclosed that shortly after assuming office, his administration discovered cases of people being held in correctional facilities without sufficient legal justification.

According to him, he subsequently directed the Attorney-General to work with the Chief Judge to ensure that nobody remained in detention without lawful grounds.

Otti also recounted his intervention in the case of a young female content creator who was remanded by a magistrate court until February 2027 over issues relating to online content.

He said he directed the Attorney-General to take necessary steps to secure her release and engage those who considered themselves offended by her actions.

The governor added that he had also requested the Attorney-General to intervene in the case of another young Abia woman detained in Lagos over allegations of cyberbullying, noting that he was later informed that she had been granted bail.

Otti said the incidents underscored the importance of public-interest legal practice and the responsibility of lawyers to defend citizens who lack the financial means to pursue justice.

On the state’s transportation and power initiatives, the governor disclosed that Abia currently had 40 electric buses, while another 30 had been loaded for delivery.

He expressed optimism that 70 electric buses would be operating across the state before the end of 2026, attributing the development to improved electricity supply and efforts to establish an independent power system outside the national grid.

He commended the NBA-SPIDEL for choosing Abia as the host state for its annual conference.

Earlier, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, urged lawyers to move beyond the traditional interpretation of laws and embrace their roles as social engineers and agents of positive change.

Osinbajo said legal practitioners must contribute to strengthening democracy, promoting national development and advancing justice through people-centred advocacy.

He identified access to justice, job creation, healthcare, education and the protection of vulnerable groups as critical areas requiring the attention of public-interest lawyers.

He argued that the success of democracy should not be measured only by elections and government policies but by improvements in the living conditions of ordinary citizens.

Osinbajo identified poverty, corruption, unemployment and declining public confidence in democratic institutions as major threats to democratic development.

He also challenged lawyers to acquire skills in technology, negotiation, conflict resolution, institutional management and critical thinking, while ensuring that information generated through artificial intelligence was properly verified.

In her opening address, NBA President, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, SAN, urged legal practitioners to uphold justice, accountability and public interest by ensuring that their professional activities improved the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

She said the theme of the conference, “In Public Interest: Advancing Justice, Democracy, and Development,” underscored the need to place citizens, particularly vulnerable groups, at the centre of legal and democratic processes.

Badejo-Okusanya identified people detained without legal representation, traders unable to afford litigation and children treated as adults in detention facilities as examples of citizens whose circumstances should inform public-interest advocacy.

She stressed that justice must guarantee effective remedies for victims of wrongdoing, while democracy should give citizens meaningful participation in decisions affecting their lives.

The NBA president also condemned political violence across the country and called for credible investigations and prosecution of those responsible for attacks on citizens participating in lawful political activities.

She thanked Governor Otti for supporting the 2026 NBA-SPIDEL conference.