Palpable tension gripped judges and lawyers of the Chukwudifu Oputa High Court located few metres from the Port Harcourt road, New Owerri, Imo State on Friday as they fled the court over fear the J.I Orjiakor court building was collapsing.
Built by former Governor Rochas Okorocha towards the tail end of his administration, the building is said to be in a dilapidated state, with some parts of its roof already falling off.
Despite its state, the lawyers and other judiciary workers inside the court premises had insisted on using it to carry out their duties until yesterday when a vibration was felt around the building.
According to a source at the court premises, it was when the vibration was felt that some of the lawyers and other occupants of the building, including residents around the vicinity, scampered for safety.
However, shortly after that, some residents claimed the vibration was caused by a vibrator used by a company around the area.
“It was as if the ground was shaking and since we’ve been in fear already about the building, we all ran out,” a source said.
“I was afraid when I saw some people running; they said the court building was about to collapse. I had to run too; it was later that they told me that the vibration was caused by work from a construction company around the area,” another source within the vicinity added.
Although the State chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chris Ihentuge had earlier raised an alarm about the deteriorating state of the court building, little heed was paid to his warning by the authorities concerned – whether the state government or the Owerri municipal authorities. .
Addressing newsmen at the premises, Ihentuge said the court would be shut down for a week for experts to address the building’s obvious structural problems.
Meanwhile, the Owerri Capital Development Agency (OCDA) has acted swiftly to seal the building.
General Manager of the Agency, Franklin Nzewodo led his men with some heavily armed security men on Friday – today, January 31 – to seal the building and inscribed boldly on it “keep off! Building under structural investigation by OCDA”.
