The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has assured that President Bola Tinubu’s administration will resolve 80 per cent of the housing challenges faced by judges in Nigeria before the end of his first tenure.
Wike gave the assurance on Tuesday during the commissioning of a magistrates’ court in Abuja. He announced that 50 units of duplexes would be allocated to the FCT High Court between October 2025 and June 2026.
“By October this year, we will hand over 20 units of duplexes to the FCT High Court, and by June next year, before the third anniversary of Mr President, we will hand over another 30 units,” Wike said.
He expressed concern over the current state of accommodation for judicial officers, describing it as embarrassing and unsafe.
“I have been going around, and sometimes when I see where our judges and magistrates sit, it is very embarrassing. Yet we expect them to deliver justice quickly. They need proper working environments, good offices, and functional courts to perform effectively,” he stated.
The minister further lamented that some judges live as tenants and face harassment from landlords when unable to pay rent on time.
“Sometimes, landlords block their gates with cars because rent has not been paid. That is embarrassing. In some cases, judges even live in unsafe neighborhoods where criminals reside. How do you guarantee their safety in such conditions?” Wike added.
He emphasized President Tinubu’s commitment to ending these challenges, stressing that the provision of adequate housing is crucial for judicial officers to carry out their duties efficiently.
