By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Magistrates in Ondo State have urged Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to intervene urgently and provide them with official vehicles, saying they currently rely on public transport even while handling sensitive cases.
The Magistrates Association of Nigeria, Ondo State chapter, expressed concerns that judges are often found boarding commercial vehicles with criminals and litigants, a situation they describe as both unsafe and degrading to the judicial system.
Speaking on Friday during visits to former Ondo North Senator, Bode Olajumoke, and Chairman of Vanguard Media Limited, Sam Amuka, in Akure, the association’s spokesperson, Chief Magistrate Damilola Sekoni, said the challenge affects about 60 magistrates across the state.
According to Sekoni, the current situation threatens not only their safety but also the dignity of the judicial office.
“We, on a daily basis, hop on commercial vehicles, most times with criminals and litigants standing trial before us, with the attendant security risk to our individual lives,” he said.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Akure branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, Onimisi Umar, backed the call, describing the lack of official vehicles as an oversight that affects judicial operations.
“Providing official vehicles will greatly improve the efficiency, safety, and morale of the magistrates. It will also ensure that they are treated with respect befitting their office,” Umar said.
In response, Olajumoke promised to take up the matter with the governor and offer his support. He encouraged the judicial officers to remain professional and guard the reputation of the legal profession.
Amuka, on his part, thanked the magistrates for the visit and urged them to uphold fairness and integrity in the discharge of their duties.