By Precious Oluwole
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Kayode Ajulo, SAN, has disclosed that case backlogs in Ondo State courts have reduced by approximately 18 per cent within one year of the administration of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.
Ajulo who disclosed this in an exclusive interview, attributed the reduction to a combination of judicial expansion, legislative reforms, digitisation initiatives and custodial decongestion measures introduced since the governor assumed office as an elected leader.
Central to the reforms, he stated, was the increase in the number of judges from 24 to 35 through the Ondo State High Court (Amendment) Law signed in July 2024, the first expansion of the bench since the state was created in 1976.
According to him, the measure addressed longstanding case congestion and judicial overload, in line with Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees fair hearing within a reasonable time.
Preliminary judicial reports, he revealed, indicate a 25 to 30 per cent reduction in the average duration of civil and criminal trials following the swearing-in of six new judges in October 2024. The establishment of additional court divisions has equally enhanced access to justice in rural and underserved communities, while reducing the workload of sitting judges.
Ajulo further linked the backlog reduction to the enactment of the Ondo State Properties Protection and Its Documentation Law, 2024, also known as the Anti-Land Grabbing Law. The legislation criminalises land grabbing, multiple sales and forcible occupation, leading to an estimated 15 per cent decline in related case filings.
He noted that the revival of the Justices of the Peace institution after nearly 17 years of dormancy has decentralised dispute resolution. Over 130 Justices of the Peace were appointed and inaugurated in November 2025, with further conferments, thereby promoting mediation at the grassroots and easing pressure on the formal courts.
The Attorney General also highlighted digitisation measures, including e-filing and the establishment of a criminal records database, as steps that have strengthened prosecutorial efficiency, transparency and inter-agency collaboration.
On custodial centre decongestion, Ajulo stated that quarterly jail delivery exercises conducted in collaboration with the Chief Judge resulted in the release of over 40 awaiting-trial inmates in 2025, including 15 in December.
He added that the ministry is advocating non-custodial sentencing, fast-track courts and partnerships, including with Amnesty International, to address systemic concerns and promote humane justice administration.
He disclosed that the Ministry of Justice’s reforms earned it the top position in the 2025 Performance Scorecard by the Institute for Governance Research with 885 points.
Ajulo further revealed that the ongoing construction of a new Judiciary Complex in Akure, flagged off in December 2024 and named after the late Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, SAN, is progressing towards completion within a 48-week timeline. The facility comprises a ceremonial court, modular courtrooms, a comprehensive registry, a library, exhibition spaces, utility buildings and other advanced structures designed to modernise the justice sector.
He added that priorities for the coming year include deeper digitisation of legal processes, enhanced prosecutorial training and further criminal justice reforms in compliance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, aimed at sustaining efficiency and humane justice delivery across the state.
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