Idara Jerome, Uyo
The Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Justice says it has concluded 939 civil and criminal cases in 2026, with criminal matters accounting for 843 of the cases, as the state government steps up efforts to strengthen justice delivery and improve the efficiency of its legal system.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Uko Essien Udom, SAN, disclosed this during the ministry’s ministerial briefing in Uyo, where he outlined its performance under Governor Umo Eno’s ARISE Agenda.
Udom said the ministry concluded 96 civil cases and 843 criminal cases during the period under review, while recruiting 25 new law officers to strengthen its workforce and improve its capacity to handle the increasing demands of justice administration.
He also disclosed that the ministry prepared about 420 legal instruments, comprising agreements, tenancy documents, memoranda of understanding, regulations and legal opinions, to provide legal guidance and support for government activities.
As part of efforts to improve the administration of justice, the commissioner said work had commenced on a case management database to enhance the monitoring, documentation and tracking of cases handled by the ministry.
He identified the construction of a Court of Appeal complex in Akwa Ibom as another major intervention, saying the facility would eliminate the need for lawyers and litigants to travel to Calabar, Cross River State, for appeal proceedings.
According to him, the project site has been handed over to the contractor, Alvard and Moore Services Limited, with completion expected before the end of the 2026/2027 legal year.
The commissioner also disclosed that Governor Eno signed the Akwa Ibom State Office of the Public Defender Establishment Bill into law in July 2026, paving the way for the creation of an institution expected to expand access to legal services, particularly for indigent and disadvantaged residents.
On the protection of vulnerable persons, Udom said the ministry had sustained its intervention in gender-based violence cases through legal support, public awareness campaigns and collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
He added that the ministry had continued to provide alternative dispute resolution services to reduce the burden on conventional courts, particularly in family disagreements, tenancy disputes, debt recovery, land disputes and community-related conflicts.
The commissioner further listed the publication of the fourth edition of the Ibom Justice Digest and the ongoing compilation of state laws enacted in 2025 and 2026 among the ministry’s achievements.
He said the ministry had also organised training programmes for law officers to improve their professional competence and strengthen their capacity to deliver effective legal services.
In the area of correctional administration, Udom said the ministry visited four correctional centres as part of efforts to address overcrowding and promote better coordination among institutions within the justice sector.
He said the ministry would sustain its focus on workforce development, improved case management, access to justice and collaboration with other justice sector institutions to ensure a more efficient legal system in the state.
