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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The Community Justice Centre (CJC) in Owerri has resolved 70 land disputes in one year, as part of 185 cases handled during its pilot phase, organisers announced yesterday.
The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HIIL), in collaboration with the CJC Steering Committee and the Nkemjika Development Foundation (NDF), said the centre will be formally handed over to state stakeholders today, marking the start of its scaling phase under the Imo State gpovernment.
The CJC opened on March 27, 2025 after a Justice Innovation Lab identified land issues, family disputes, and gender-based violence as the most pressing justice needs in Imo. It runs as a hybrid centre with both a physical office and an online platform, providing alternative dispute resolution, legal information, and referrals for legal aid, psychosocial support, and medical assistance.
Breaking down the achievements at a press conference in Owerri, yesterday, Dr. Ijeoma Nwafor, country representative of the organisation, said 185 cases were received, 103 resolved, while 52 are still active .
She added “Of these cases resolved, land disputes accounted for 70, family disputes for 57, and domestic violence for 42, with domestic violence cases handled through trauma – informed, high sensitive pathways priortisinng survival safety physiological counseling and secure referrals to appropriate legal services.
“Beyond the centre, the CJC’s “Justice Voice” radio programme ran for a year and reached over five million people across Imo and neighbouring areas with information on legal rights and dispute resolution options.
“All cases were tracked on the ImoJustMove digital platform to ensure accountability. NYSC members, including young lawyers, joined in November 2025 to support case monitoring, legal advice, and follow-up.
Nwafor disclosed that the handover will place the CJC under a multi-sectoral Steering Committee made up of the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Nigerian Bar Association, and civil society groups. The committee, she further explained, will provide strategic oversight ahead of full integration into the state justice architecture.
“The CJC has shown, in one year, what is possible when justice is designed around the people it serves . “This handover is not an ending, it is the beginning of the CJC’s life as a sustainable institution, and we are proud that other communities are already asking for their own.”
