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Akwa Ibom Ministry of Justice reports 896 pending civil cases and 2,368 criminal cases, with 843 criminal cases and 96 civil cases concluded.
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Government says it processed 420 legal instruments and documents and recorded 340 pending gender-based violence cases.
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Governor Umo Eno assented to 14 bills in one day in July 2026, while construction of a Court of Appeal complex in Uyo is underway.
October 30, (THEWILL) – The Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Justice has disclosed that it is handling 3,264 pending civil and criminal cases, while recording the conclusion of 939 cases across both categories as part of efforts to strengthen justice delivery in the state.
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Udom, SAN, disclosed this on yesterday during the 12th edition of the state government’s ongoing Ministerial Briefing at Akpan Isemin Hall, Government House, Uyo.
Presenting the ministry’s scorecard, Udom said the litigation departments were handling 896 pending civil cases, with 96 concluded, and 2,368 pending criminal cases, out of which 843 had been concluded.
He also disclosed that the ministry’s Gender-Based Violence Unit had 340 pending cases involving physical assault, threats to life, rape, child abandonment, emotional abuse and harmful widowhood practices.
According to him, the ministry processed approximately 420 legal instruments and documents, comprising 70 bills, 150 regulations, executive orders and other instruments, 121 tenancy agreements and leases, 34 memoranda of understanding and 27 legal opinions and advisories.
Udom said the ministry also handled 36 alternative dispute resolution cases and 52 family disputes, 11 of which had been resolved, while its Estate Administration Department managed 77 cases involving deceased persons’ estates, beneficiaries’ rights, death benefits and the protection of vulnerable family members.
On institutional development, the Attorney-General identified the ongoing construction of a Court of Appeal complex in Uyo as a major intervention aimed at bringing appellate justice closer to residents and reducing the difficulties faced by lawyers and litigants travelling to Calabar for appeal proceedings.
He said the project followed representations to Governor Umo Eno on the need for an appellate court in the state, adding that the construction site had been handed over to the contractor, with completion expected before the end of the 2026/2027 legal year.
The commissioner further highlighted the Akwa Ibom State Office of the Public Defender Establishment Law, signed by the governor in July 2026, as a major step towards improving access to justice, protecting human rights and providing legal assistance to disadvantaged residents.
He said the ministry had also recruited 25 new law officers, published laws enacted in 2023 and 2024 following the comprehensive revision of the state’s laws in 2022, and sustained professional training for legal officers in prosecution, mediation, conciliation and the implementation of criminal justice laws.
Other interventions included correctional centre audits across four facilities, statewide gender-based violence awareness campaigns, collaboration with security agencies and civil society organisations, and the introduction of digital reforms to strengthen case monitoring and management.
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Earlier, the Commissioner for Information, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Umanah, said the ministerial briefing was part of the Eno administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability and good governance, noting that justice delivery remained central to the security and good governance pillars of the ARISE Agenda.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Legislative Matters, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Ekpenyong, disclosed that Governor Eno assented to 14 bills in one day in July during an expanded executive meeting attended by the Speaker and members of the leadership of the State House of Assembly.
Ekpenyong said the legislation covered governance and accountability, fiscal responsibility, procurement, revenue administration, public sector reforms, security, emergency medical response, infrastructure, economic development, electricity, geographical information and tourism.
He identified the Public Defender Establishment Law and the Akwa Ibom State Skill Acquisition and Vocational Centre Law as key legislations designed to improve access to justice and equip young people with practical and vocational skills.
The NUJ State Chairman, Comrade Nsibiet John, urged the state government to strengthen negotiations with companies operating in Akwa Ibom to ensure that host communities benefit from employment opportunities, economic activities and the exploitation of natural resources.
He called for a roundtable involving the government and the companies to address concerns over environmental degradation and oil spillage, while commending Governor Eno for increasing the students’ bursary to ₦200,000 and ₦250,000 for those studying professional courses.
