Ogoja High Court Still in Ruins 14 Months After Fire Incident
The Cross River State High Court in Ogoja has remained unrepaired more than a year after a fire outbreak destroyed the building.
The court complex, located in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of Ogoja, was engulfed by fire on the evening of January 5, 2025, around 7 p.m. Residents in the area attempted to put out the flames but their efforts were unsuccessful, as the entire structure was eventually consumed by the fire.
No officials from the fire service were present to respond to the incident, reportedly due to challenges with equipment and operational readiness.
Two days after the incident, the Chief Judge of Cross River State, Justice Akon B. Ikpeme, visited the site and described the destruction as a major loss to the judiciary and the state. According to her, the court had served the people of Ogoja for many years and its destruction was deeply unfortunate.
Following the incident, court activities were temporarily moved to Magistrate Court II. The presiding judge of the Ogoja High Court, Justice Daniel O., expressed sadness over the development, describing the situation as both painful and unfortunate.
The Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ogoja branch, Matthias Aniche, also appealed to the government to provide a more suitable temporary facility while waiting for the reconstruction of the damaged building.
He noted that lawyers and court officials are currently operating in a small courtroom known as Court II, which he said is inadequate for a High Court, a court of record.
Despite these concerns raised last year, the court building has yet to be renovated as of March 9, 2026.
Many residents have expressed worry over the condition of the judiciary infrastructure in the area. One concerned citizen from Cross River North, Tom Alims, stressed that important public facilities such as courts should receive urgent government attention.
He recalled that residents previously had to mobilize resources themselves to renovate the Ogoja Magistrate Court II after it was abandoned by the authorities.
Alims questioned when the government would begin the rehabilitation of the High Court, which serves the entire Cross River North and parts of the Central district. He suggested that completing such a project would demonstrate visible commitment to development and earn public support.
While expressing disappointment over the delay, he remained hopeful that the government would soon take steps to restore the court building.
