The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Gombe Branch, has announced a one-week boycott of all court proceedings across the state, scheduled to begin on Monday, June 2, 2025.

The boycott, which will affect all High Courts, Magistrates, and Area Courts in Gombe State, was disclosed in a formal notice addressed to the Chief Judge by the NBA Gombe Branch Chairman, Benjamin Sati.

According to the statement, the industrial action will run until Friday, June 6, 2025, and is primarily a protest against what the association describes as inadequate budgetary allocation from the state government to the High Court and the Shariah Court.

Demands for Improved Judicial Funding

"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 in the notice.

The NBA chairman also highlighted that the boycott aims to draw Governor Inuwa Yahaya's attention to the unresolved crisis at the Court of Appeal, which has resulted in the closure of the Gombe Division for over three months.

The association has urged all its members to comply with the directive and advised that all courts remain closed during the period. The statement specifically mentioned that no production warrants should be issued and no inmates should be produced to any court during the boycott period.

"All members are urged to comply. We kindly advise that all courts remain closed in the interest of all. No production warrant should be issued and no inmate should be produced to any court as lawyers are obligated to comply, so no court shall sit during the period under reference," the statement added.

This development comes at a time when the judiciary in Gombe State has been facing operational challenges due to funding constraints, affecting the administration of justice in the state.

The NBA's action underscores growing concerns about judicial independence and the need for adequate funding of the third arm of government to ensure effective dispensation of justice.