Benue State Governor, Rev. Father Hyacinth Alia, has banned all forms of protests by individuals and groups within and around court premises.

The ban came amidst an ongoing strike by the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), which has kept court premises in the state closed since December 6 last year.

Governor Alia, however, gave an exception for the Local Government Election Petition Tribunals, whom he allowed “to utilize designated court halls for their proceedings, recognizing the time-sensitive nature of election petitions.

He said in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, that necessary security measures have been put in place to protect members of the tribunals, petitioners, respondents, and their representatives.

‘To maintain law and order, the governor has banned protests, unauthorized gatherings, and commercial activities within and around the court premises. Anyone found violating this directive will face legal consequences, he warned.

Governor Alia reassured the public that his administration is committed to enhancing security and ensuring a safe and peaceful state for all.

He urged citizens of the state to remain calm and patient as they awaited the tribunal’s verdicts.

It could be recalled that the lawyer representing the State Government, Mathew Burkaa, in a recent letter to the Chairman of the Local Government Election Tribunal, expressed grave reservations about the Tribunal’s ability to sit due to the prevailing insecurity around the court premises and the state.

He cited concerns for the safety of their legal team and client and requested an adjournment until the security situation in the state would be adequately guaranteed.