Magistrates in Abia Call for Official Vehicles and Packing Facilities Amid Car Theft Concerns

The Magistrates Association of Nigeria, Abia State chapter, has requested that the state government supply official vehicles and secure parking facilities within court buildings.

The appeal was prompted by the theft of a private car belonging to Chief Magistrate Ngozi Lakwa. She had parked the vehicle beside the Umuahia High Court complex to attend to her official duties last week.

Chairman Orji Nnaemeka, speaking on behalf of the association, expressed concern that a magistrate performing her official duties lost her vehicle.

The group warned that the incident demonstrates how magistrates who rely on public spaces while carrying out their duties are increasingly vulnerable to crime.

“It is unfair and demoralizing for judicial workers to suffer personal loss while discharging their constitutional duties to the State and its citizens,” Nnaemeka said.

The association cautioned that more members could become victims if nothing is done to address their request.

They argued that the theft and other inconveniences could have been avoided had the state government provided adequate, monitored parking spaces for official vehicles.