The Nigerian Bar Association, Gombe Branch, on Friday announced a planned boycott of all sittings of the High Court, Magistrate Courts, and Area Courts within Gombe State.
The boycott is scheduled to take place from Monday, June 2 to Friday, June 6, 2025.
In a formal notice addressed to the Hon. Chief Judge of the Gombe State High Court, the branch cited inadequate funding of the judiciary and the continued closure of the Gombe Division of the Court of Appeal as the key motivations for the action.
According to the letter signed by NBA Gombe Chairman, Benjamin Sati, the decision follows resolutions reached at a meeting of the branch held on April 22, 2025.
“This is to press further the demand of the Bar for an increase in the allocation of the State Executive arm to the High Court and the Shariah Court of Appeal in order to improve the quality of output of the said courts,” Sati stated.
The NBA also called attention to what it described as the alarming silence surrounding the closure of the Gombe Division of the Court of Appeal, which has been shut down for more than three months.
“This move is also aimed at bringing to the notice of His Excellency the importance of his intervention in the Court of Appeal saga,” the statement noted.
The association urged all its members to comply fully with the boycott and called for the closure of the affected courts throughout the period in question “in the interest of all.”
While the NBA Gombe Branch has historically engaged in dialogue with government authorities over issues affecting the judiciary, this planned boycott marks a significant escalation in its advocacy.
Sati urged court users, litigants, and other stakeholders in the Gombe judiciary to take note of the proposed shutdown and make necessary adjustments.
As of press time, the Gombe State Judiciary and the State Government had not issued an official response.
