Legal proceedings across Ogun State came to an abrupt halt on Monday as branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) officially commenced a three-day court boycott, leaving litigants stranded and judges presiding over empty courtrooms.
​The industrial action, which spans from Monday, July 6, to Wednesday, July 8, 2026, has severely paralyzed judicial activities at the State High Courts, Magistrates’ Courts, and Customary Courts in major judicial divisions including Abeokuta, Ota, and Sagamu.
​According to NBA leadership, the decision to down tools followed repeated, unsuccessful attempts to engage the state judiciary over newly introduced policies. The lawyers argue these directives are “inimical” to legal practice and place an unfair financial burden on the public.
​Speaking to journalists during an enforcement drive at the Kobape Judiciary Complex in Abeokuta, the Chairman of the NBA Abeokuta Branch, Kayode Aderemi, outlined the key grievances driving the strike.
He noted that under the new rules, litigants are required to pay a hefty ₦100,000 fee for every single virtual court session. With 650% hike in Oath Fees, the fee for the administration of oaths has skyrocketed from a modest ₦200 to over ₦1,500.
Aderemi also highlighted the “Four-Oaths-Per-Day” Cap; A restrictive policy now prevents legal practitioners from processing more than four witness oaths daily.
​”If I have 15 or more witnesses in a case, what happens? We believe this policy unjustifiably limits the ability of lawyers to carry out their professional duties,” Aderemi lamented, adding that clients are constantly questioning lawyers over the astronomical price increases.
​The enforcement of the boycott saw near-total compliance among local bar members. However, the unexpected action caught several out-of-state lawyers and unsuspecting litigants off guard.
​At the Isabo High Court and other judicial complexes, dozens of individuals who traveled long distances for scheduled hearings were met with locked doors or inactive courtrooms. Many expressed frustration over the sudden disruption, citing the mounting financial and emotional costs of prolonged litigation.
​In a swift counter-response, the Ogun State Judiciary expressed surprise at the strike, claiming it received no official notification of the boycott from the NBA, only finding out through social media.
​Defending the changes, the Chief Registrar of the Ogun State High Court, Olakunlehin Lukmon Oke, argued that modernizing justice delivery requires substantial infrastructure capital.
Oke stated that technology-driven systems are expensive to run, noting that more than 600 successful virtual hearings have already been conducted across nine judicial divisions connecting witnesses from as far as Canada, Australia, and the United States.
The Registrar compared the electronic affidavit system to frameworks operating in Lagos, Rivers, and the FCT, pointing out that only Lagos charges lower rates due to its vastly higher volume of court users.
The judiciary clarified that the four-oaths-per-day restriction only applies to general affidavits (such as change of name or loss of documents) and does not restrict court process affidavits.
​While the judiciary insists that its electronic portal (OgunComis) streamlines legal paperwork, cuts down transit times, and reduces corruption, the NBA maintains that access to justice must not be priced out of reach for the ordinary citizen.
​With almost 100% compliance recorded on Day 1, the standoff is expected to continue through Wednesday unless an emergency resolution is reached between the Bar and the Bench.
