The Kogi State Judiciary is a product of the creation of States in August 27, 1991. The State, Kogi was created out of two States. These are Benue and Kwara States.

The first Chief Judge to assume the mantle of leadership in the 18 years old State was Honourable Justice Umaru Ali Eri, OFR (Rtd) and is at present the Administrator, National Judicial Institute, Abuja while the present Chief Judge is Honourable Justice Nasir A. Ajanah.

FUNCTIONS
The Judiciary is the third arm of Government which is saddled with the responsibility of interpreting the laws and administering justice in any State, region or country. The Kogi State Judiciary is not different as far as this tradition of responsibility is concerned.

The Judicial authority is vested in the Courts and judges by the Constitution to hear and decide cases and make binding judgments on them. The Judiciary also has power to construe and apply the law when controversies arise over what has been done or not done under it.

The necessities or dividends of democracy are adherence to the Rule of Law as Judiciary is the shield, comfort, sanctuary and asylum for the common man.

LANDMARK ACHIEVEMENTS
TAKING JUSTICE CLOSER TO PEOPLE
At the time Kogi State was created, the young State could only boast of a non-descript judicial department with all its attendant inadequacies. Since 1991, the growth of the Court system has been staggering as virtually every village in the State is within a few kilometers of a Court. This way, justice became accessible, available and affordable to every citizen in the State.

The thrust of this policy is that all the Local Government Areas in the State are entitled to at least one High Court each in addition to several lower Courts. The following table compares 1991 figures of Courts in Kogi State with 2009 figures.

PRISON DECONGESTION
One aspect of Courtroom trial which is a source of constant complain in all the Judiciaries of Nigeria is the unnecessary delays and adjournments that had become increasingly worse over the years especially as they affected trials of criminal cases.

Among the greatest accomplishments of the current leadership of the Kogi State Judiciary is the decongestion of prisons across the State. Regular prison visits are organized to ensure that deserving inmates are released with the major criteria as long period of awaiting trial and health related grounds.

This is embarked upon in conjunction with other stakeholders. The relationship that exists between the Bench and Bar can only be described as symbiotic as it creates no room for distrust on the two sides of the coin. This is also the case with other agencies like the police, prisons and the Ministry of Justice.

MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT
The Judiciary in the Confluence State has been one of the most interested in the essence of the National Judicial Institute (NJI) since the establishment of the Institute. This is evident in the sponsorship of a large number of judicial officers and other supporting members of staff to attend various courses of the Institute to improve and enhance their level of proficiency and productivity. Members of the judicial staff are also sent to the training programmes of Commonwealth of Magistrates and Judges Association (CMJA), World Jurist Conference (WJC) and International Bar Association Conference (IBAC) among others.

REVIEW OF HIGH COURT RULES
A major highlight of Developments and Reforms in Kogi State Judiciary since 1991 is the introduction of the Kogi State High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2006 which is geared towards fast tracking civil justice administration in the State. These rules have banished the all too familiar snail speed adjudication.

The new High Court Civil Procedure Rules have been internalized in the judicial system of the State. This has reduced significantly the time between filing of Court processes and date of judgments.

REVIEW OF FILING FEES
The Kogi State Judiciary has reduced the payable fees in Court to enable people have access to justice. Before now, rates of filing fees were considered on the high side. The result is that more cases are now being filed on a daily basis.

PROFESSIONALIZATION OF AREA COURTS SYSTEM
Another developmental stride in Kogi State Judiciary is the unique structure where all the twenty two (22) Upper Area Courts in the State are manned by legally qualified personnel. Not only that, lawyers preside over a substantial number of the one hundred and twenty six (126) Area Courts.

WELFARE OF STAFF
In Kogi State Judiciary, we have a disciplined workforce and this has earned the judiciary respect, dignity and decorum and in recognition of this, successive administrations in the State had made the payment of staff salaries and allowances a top priority. Salaries and Allowances of Magistrates and area Court Judges were reviewed upward in 2007 while those of non-judicial members of staff from Grade Level 01 – 15 is currently being looked into by the government of the State and it is expected to come into fruition before the end of this year.

Also there is a Judiciary Staff Co-Operative, Thrift and Credit Society which has been in existence since the creation of the State in 1991 and has majority of staff including some Honourable Judges as members. This is headed by a winning team of dynamic and seasoned Executive members.

COURT ASSIZES
Under the leadership of the Honourable, the Chief Judge of Kogi State of Kogi State, Honourable Justice Nasir A. Ajanah, Assizes are regularly constituted to ensure that there was no unmanageable backlog of criminal cases and this seems to be working effectively as there is no congestions in the six prisons of Kogi State.

OTHER MAJOR DEVELOPMENTAL STRIDES
In an effort to ensure the tradition of continuous repositioning is maintained, the judiciary has created seven directorates for effective administration of the High Court. These are:
(a) Directorate of Magistracy,
(b) Directorate of Litigation
(c) Directorate of Area Courts
(d) Directorate of Personnel Management
(e) Directorate of Finance and Supply
(f) Directorate of Planning, Research and Statistics, and
(g) Directorate of Estate Management.

In addition, a Public Relation and Protocol Department under the office of the Chief Registrar has been created. It is the image making organ of the judiciary and also takes responsibility for all protocol matters of the Judiciary. The Department is headed by a Protocol/Public Relation Officer.

The Kogi State Judiciary has a strong and vibrant Magistrates Association of Nigeria (M.A.N.), Kogi State Chapter which has produced national officers for the Association.

The Rent Control and Recovery of Residential Premises Law 2007 was sponsored by the Judiciary to remedy the then issues of rent control and recovery of premises between landlords and tenants in Kogi State.

The Kogi State Judiciary also boasts of a vibrant and problem solving Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN). The Judicial officers are co-operating with the other supporting members of staff to build a respectable, virile and most accountable judiciary under a copiously experienced, abundantly versatile and dynamic Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Nasir A. Ajanah.

It is needless to emphasize that books are the tools of trade in the legal profession. There is now a modern library with up to date law reports and journals which has just been put in place by current leadership of Honourable Justice Nasir A. Ajanah. The aim of this is proper administration of justice and good delivery of judgments.

In Kogi State, there is efficiency in the operation of the Courts and judicial system. There is also efficient management of litigation so as to minimize duplication of effort and to avoid wasting judiciary time and resources.

The highest point of the achievements of the current leadership is the total black out of nepotism, favoritism and spherical corruption and the severe punishment of those indulged in them to send the message home. This was done along with the entrenchment of transparency and meritocracy. To crown it all, dynamism of Hon. Justice Nasir A. Ajanah led administration of the judiciary has been highly illuminating and incisive.

COMPLETED AND ON-GOING PROJECTS
The administration of the Kogi State Judiciary is presently headed by his Lordship, Honourable Justice Nasir A. Ajanah, the Chief Judge of Kogi State. The great deal of improvement in the infrastructural facilities in the Kogi State Judiciary is a pointer to the leadership preparedness to provide conducive environment, appropriate equipment and necessary tools to achieve the sole aim of bringing justice to Kogi people.
In pursuance of this laudable policy, rehabilitation and renovation works had been completed in about thirty (30) Court rooms scattered all over the twenty-one (21) Local Government Areas of the State.

Presently, work has reached advanced stage on the construction of an ultra modern Courtrooms for High Courts 4 and 5 at the judiciary headquarters, Lokoja.

Similarly work has been completed on the construction of the burnt High Court complex, Anyigba as the new structure is also designed to accommodate the Chief Magistrate Court, Anyigba.

In particular, a modern Court building was put up in Bagana for the Area Court and a well furnished judge’s quarter was built at Icheke whilst the abandoned extra modern Upper Area Court, Kabba has been rebuilt and put into use.

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION
The Kogi State Judiciary is endowed with outstanding individuals who chart pathways for others to follow. The provision of internet facilities in the Kogi State Judiciary will soon take place to facilitate information dissemination and networking.

Cost of operations will reduce as well as increase in revenue accruing to the judiciary would be witnessed. There is also the need to purchase Automatic Recording machines and install same in all High Courts in the State. This will certainly bring the much desired revolution as judges will no longer record in the primitive longhand, a development which slows down the system, causes delay in judgments and makes the recording of evidence tedious and uninteresting.

Apart from these, the Kogi State Judiciary may in the future recruit Sheriff corps to replace and take over the duties of bailiffs. This category of staff would be trained in services of processes, execution and enforcement of judgments and orders as well as physical training. These Sheriff corps shall be mainly graduates of various disciplines.

The general public and lawyers are being encouraged to drop their complaints and suggestions into the SUGGESTION BOXES which are to be placed in many locations all over the State Courts. The placements of the Boxes will be done any moment from now.

All Magistrate and Area Courts in the State which were hitherto abandoned, dilapidated and in lack of adequate facilities before now, are being gradually brought back to life and equipped appropriately. It is sad that some Magistrates and Area Court Judges have no tables and chairs but all that will soon be a thing of the past with appointment of Hon. Justice Nasir A. Ajanah as the Chief Judge as air conditioners, refrigerations, rugs, functional and respectable chairs and tables are being provided for these categories of staff.

The present administration in the judiciary attaches great importance to the administration of justice in the State. It is the desire of the judiciary to create a Customary Court of Appeal and plans have reached advanced stage on the establishment of a Federal High Court in the State.

There is also the Judiciary Service Commission of Kogi State which is a body saddled with the responsibility of appointing, promoting and exercising disciplinary control of judicial and non-judicial members of staff of Kogi State Judiciary. The Commission is headed by the Hon., the Chief Judge of Kogi State as Chairman, the Grand Kadi of Sharia Court of Appeal, the Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice of the State and four other members. The Secretary of the Commission is chosen by the Chairman.

The Kogi State Judiciary is certainly one of the most vibrant and most prominent judicial systems in the country and is noted for its independence and intellectual depth over the years. It has come of age as it has grown in leaps and bounds as is evident in its present number of the High Courts and sundry other lower Courts as well as its manpower development drive which ensures that quality is maintained on the Bench. This has paid off because the dispensation of justice is now quickly done, prison decongestion pursued, welfare of both judicial and non-judicial officers on the list of issues that continue to take pride of place in the State Judiciary.

Most of the past and present Judges of Kogi State Judiciary have made the nation proud with their pronouncements, intellectual opinions on issues and monumental success as chairs of various Election Tribunals and Commissions in various sectors of the socio-economic and political divide of the country.

ROLL CALL OF HONOURABLE JUDGES OF KOGI STATE
1. Hon. Justice Nasir A. Ajanah – Chief Judge
2. Hon. Justice S. K. Otta
3. Hon. Justice T. S. Yakubu
4. Hon. Justice Rekiya Okpanachi
5. Hon. Justice H. A. Olusiyi
6. Hon. Justice S. T. Hussaini
7. Hon. Justice S. O. Otu
8. Hon. Justice R. O. Olorunfemi
9. Hon. Justice J. J. Majebi
10. Hon. Justice Y. Musa
11. Hon. Justice Z. M. Owonibi
12. Hon. Justice E. A. Haruna
13. Hon. Justice A. A. O. Ajileye
14. Hon. Justice A. N. Awulu
15. Hon. Justice A. O. Saliu
16. Hon. Justice M. E. Umar