Nigeria, Nov. 17 -- A coalition of 25 lawyers, including senior advocates, has petitioned the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, calling on her and the National Judicial Council (NJC) to intervene in the situation in the Imo State judiciary following the introduction of a strange law stripping the Acting Chief Judge of the state the power to assign cases to judges.

The coalition warned that the development threatens judicial independence and could deepen the protracted leadership crisis that has unsettled the state's judiciary for more than a year.

In the petition dated 13 November and received at the CJN's office on Friday, the coalition questioned the authenticity of the High Court (Amendment) Law No. 16 of 2022, whi...