The Oyo State judiciary has ordered the suspension of all court sittings for an initial period of two weeks as part of preventive measures to curb the spread of coronavirus and in furtherance of its determination to protect judges and staff.
The Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Munta Abimbola, gave the order on Monday, in a circular distributed to all courts within the state.
He said the break which will commence with immediate effect on Tuesday, March 24, 2020, will be for an initial period of two weeks at the first instance, adding that the two weeks break must be sacrosanct except in matters that are urgent, essential or time bound according to the court’s extant laws.
The Chief Judge’s order was sequel to a circular dated March 23, 2020, issued by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammed on the closure of courts.
“Consequently, from March 24, High Courts and Magistrates courts across Oyo State will not sit for a period of two weeks due to spread of the coronavirus in Nigeria except in urgent cases in which dates will be communicated to lawyers and litigants,” Justice Abimbola said.
