By CHIDI NKWOPARA

OWERRI— Scores of litigants in Imo State returned to their respective homes yesterday as their pending matters could not go on in all courts because of the strike embarked upon by judicial workers in the state.

Similarly, all the suspects brought to the courts by the police were taken back into custody as they could not be properly arraigned.

Our reporter, who visited seven out of 27 local council areas of the state to assess the situation, found out that the judiciary workers stayed back in their homes in full compliance with the directives of the national leadership of the Judicial Service Union of Nigeria, JUSUN.

According to the circular dated July 9, 2014, and signed by the General Secretary of JUSUN, Comrade I. M. Adetola, the union’s decision to proceed on indefinite industrial action was taken during the National Executive Committee meeting of July 9, 2014.

This circular, which was placed at the gate of High Court read: “I am directed to inform you that further to our circular of June 17, 2014, on a nationwide strike, you are hereby directed to proceed on an indefinite strike, for non-compliance with the orders of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on financial autonomy and independence of the judiciary in Nigeria by the state governments”.

JUSUN further ordered that “the strike is total as you are, hereby, expected to close all the courts from Friday, July 11, 2014, and should not be reopened until further notice.”

Adetola added that nobody was expected to address the press, but quickly added that if any issue was particular to any state, contact should be made to the National Vice President of the affected zone, who would take clearance from the national deputy president, who is the chairman of the Monitoring Committee for the strike.

The JUSUN leadership also placed workers of Federal High Courts on red alert, on the possibility of joining their state colleagues, while the strike lasts.