Legal Aid Council resolves 400 cases in one year

The Legal Aid Council of Nigeria has said that it resolved over 400 civil cases for the poor in Kaduna state free-of-charge in the last one year under its access to justice for the poor project.

The Council attributed the increased successes to the 19 new offices opened in 19 local government areas in Kaduna state and another office at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, to accommodate more civil cases.
Addressing reporters yesterday on the updates of the projects funded by Japanese Social Development Fund (JSDF), the Director-

General of the council, Mrs Joy Bob-Manuel, said it had made tremendous progress in assisting the poor in Kaduna state, especially those who earned below the N18, 000 minimum wage.
According to her, the Council whose work focuses on four major issues of matrimony, civil, inheritance and death matters, has organised various training programmes on alternative means of conflict resolutions where over 5,000 people have benefited.

On the level of awareness of the programme, she said the Council had 10 NGOs and corps lawyers who had shown interest to offer free sensitisation programme to Kaduna residents.
She said: “We have recorded over 400 cases and organised various training for religion and traditional leaders on how to settle disputes out of court, which we have recorded huge success.

“We are calling on the local government chairmen to maintain the offices newly opened in their secretariat so that the programme will not die.”