The officials insisted that hearing notices are approved by the judge himself, SaharaReporters learnt.
Frustration has set in for lawyers and relations of inmates in Delta State as the Federal High Court, Warri Judicial Division, declined to issue out hearing notices of cases due to the absence of Justice M.O Sani, a newly posted Judge to the court.
The court officials told lawyers, litigants and relatives of Inmates in prison custody that there was no hearing notices because the judge was not available and they could not issue out hearing notices except with the approval of the judge.
The officials insisted that hearing notices are approved by the judge himself, SaharaReporters learnt.
SaharaReporters had reported on November 23, 2023, how awaiting trial inmates in Delta State were seeking speedy bail as the new judge was expected to resume at the FHC, Warri.
SaharaReporters also reported on November 21 how Justice John Tsoho approved the posting of 94 Federal High Court Justices nationwide, saying the redeployment followed the appointments of 23 new judges for the court.
The Federal High Court Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho, has posted a new judge to the Federal High Court, Warri Judicial Division, after SaharaReporters exposed how the court had no presiding judge since September and cases were delaying and piling up.
Going by the posting, relatives and friends of the awaiting trial inmates had called on the newly posted judge, Justice I.M. Sani to grant bail to innocent inmates incarcerated in prison by “powerful” individuals.
SaharaReporters also reported how the absence of a judge stalled the hearing application to dismiss the frivolous cyberstalking charges preferred against the Delta State Take-It-Back Coordinator, Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho, who has been illegally detained for over 15 months.
The case slated for November 13 could not be heard as a result of the absence of a sitting Judge.
SaharaReporters also on October 23 reported how the Federal High Court in Warri Judicial Division, Delta State, did not resume sitting after the annual leave due to lack of a presiding judge while other federal high courts across the country had been going on with the business of the court.
The court (Warri judicial division) is without a judge to man proceedings and trials filed by litigants at the court.
Meanwhile, relatives and friends of the Awaiting Trial Inmates (ATM) remanded at the Federal Correctional Centre Warri have called on the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to visit the Federal Correctional Centre, Warri, to review cases of inmates remanded by the Federal High Court Warri Judicial Division.
They stated that the visit of the judge was in order to release them from prison custody, especially those who are on remand on trumps up charges sponsored by powerful individuals.
SaharaReporters gathered that most of the awaiting trial inmates remanded by the Federal High Court have been on bail but with stringent conditions.
Also, others are on trial for over four years without progress in the trial while some have fallen victims to illegal bail bond business racketeers.