The Chief Judge (CJ) of Oyo State, Justice Munta Abimbola, said yesterday that the state government would create a special court to handle criminal matters.
Abimbola, who made this known in Ibadan during a special service to mark the beginning of 2022/2023 legal year of the state judiciary, said the special court was due to an increase of criminal activities.
The CJ said the court would be set up for speedy administration of criminal matters in order to have effective administration of justice.
“There is an upsurge in the number of cases filed in courts, particularly criminal matters as a result of increase in criminal activities.
“A lot of criminal activities are happening such as rape, assault, kidnapping and land grabbing.
“So, to have effective handling of the cases, we are going to tell some judges to handle those cases for fast hearing.
“These are the kind of innovation we are going to see this legal year,” Abimbola said.
Governor Seyi Makinde said the commitment of his administration to the rule of law necessitated the setting up of bodies such as the task force on enforcement of Real Properties Protection Law 2016.
Makinde, represented by his deputy, Bayo Lawal, urged stakeholders, especially the judiciary, to ensure free, fair and credible elections in the resolution of cases as the 2023 general election approaches.
He said he was proud of the state judiciary and pledged the commitment of his administration to prioritise the welfare of judiciary.
An Islamic scholar, Dr. Muhydeen Najimudeen, the chief missioner, Ar-mon Islamic Organisation in the UK, urged judges and magistrates not to be biased in the justice delivery.