Otti says Abia will open 10 new courthouses, build complexes in Aba and Umuahia
- Abia Governor Alex Otti says five courthouses will open before the end of 2026 and five more early next year.
- He also plans ultra-modern court complexes in Aba and Umuahia, each with a 1,000-seat auditorium.
- Otti said the Ukwa East courthouse contract will be re-awarded over the contractor's poor performance.
Abia State will open 10 newly built courthouses within the next few months, Governor Alex Otti has said, as his government moves to give judges and court staff better places to work.
Otti spoke on Tuesday at a thanksgiving service in Umuahia marking the start of the Abia State Judiciary's 2026/2027 legal year. The service held at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Chapel, Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia.
Five of the courthouses should be ready for use before this year ends, with the other five following early next year, the governor said.
He also announced that construction will begin on large, modern court complexes in Aba and Umuahia. Each complex will include an auditorium that can seat 1,000 people.
Contractor blamed for Ukwa East delay
Otti said the slow pace of work at the Ukwa East courthouse was down to the contractor. He said the state has decided to end that contract and hand the job to another contractor.
Beyond buildings, the governor said his administration will keep computerising the way government business is done across the executive, legislature and judiciary, so that services are faster and easier for residents to reach.
He described the judiciary as a key arm of government and promised to keep supporting it while respecting its independence. The three arms, he said, must work together without stepping on each other's constitutional duties.
Otti also thanked the judiciary for backing his government's insistence on due process, saying both sides share the same standard.
The service was led by the Anglican Bishop of Umuahia Diocese, Geoffrey Ibabuchi. It drew members of the state executive council, the Chief Judge and judges of the Abia State Judiciary, chief registrars, magistrates, customary court chairmen and other court staff.
What happens next
Nigerians in Abia should watch for the first five courthouses to open before the end of the year, and for work to start on the Aba and Umuahia complexes. The Ukwa East project will get a new contractor, though the sources did not say when work there would restart.
