By Abasi Ita
Rising incidents of threats and intimidation against Magistrates in Cross River State have sparked palpable anxiety within the lower bench, generating deep concern among legal practitioners and civil society groups and raising serious questions about judicial safety, independence and the rule of law.
Investigations indicate that the latest case involves a Chief Magistrate in Akpabuyo Local Government Area who has formally applied for the transfer of a pending land dispute from his court, citing grave threats to his life allegedly linked to the matter. The disturbing development has heightened fears that litigants are increasingly resorting to intimidation and violence to influence judicial outcomes.
According to a document obtained by The Summit Post News, the Magistrate, His Worship Richard F. Bassey of the Ikot Eneyo Chief Magistrate Court, made the request in a petition addressed to the Legal Department of the Judiciary Headquarters in Calabar. In the letter, he asked to be relieved of Suit No. MCE/IKE/1/2024, an appeal arising from a customary court judgment, after what he described as a near fatal encounter with suspected thugs acting on behalf of a respondent in the case.
The petition stated that the incident occurred on January 5, 2026, at about 5.30 pm near the SPAR Shopping Mall exit gate along Barracks Road in Calabar. The Magistrate alleged that he was intercepted by three young men, forced to the roadside and held for about thirty minutes in what he described as a terrifying ordeal.
During the encounter, he was reportedly pressured to contact the Investigative Police Officer handling the matter and instruct him to stay action on a bench warrant earlier issued to compel the defendant’s appearance in court. He was also allegedly given an ultimatum to strike out the case at the next adjourned date, January 23, 2026. The Magistrate stated that he was only allowed to leave after promising to comply with the demands, a decision he said was taken solely out of fear for his personal safety.
The assailants were said to have specifically demanded that the Magistrate strike out the case involving Effiong Etim Ittang and others against Chief Okon Effiong Effanga and ensure that the respondent was not arrested by security agencies. The matter involves an appeal against a customary court judgment in a land dispute.
In his petition, Magistrate Bassey further alleged a persistent pattern of disregard for court processes by the respondent. Despite subsisting court orders preserving the disputed property, the respondent was said to have leased the land to a third party in May 2025. Repeated failure to appear in court reportedly led to the issuance of a bench warrant on December 18, 2025.
The Magistrate also claimed that after the bench warrant was issued, he received information that the respondent and his legal team were unhappy with the court’s actions and had vowed that he would be “taught a lesson,” a statement he now considers a precursor to the intimidation he later suffered.
In formally requesting the transfer of the case, the Magistrate cited what he described as a climate of impunity, thuggery and judicial intimidation surrounding the matter, stressing that continuing to preside over the case would pose a serious risk to his life.
“I appeal that this matter be removed from my court and the complaint be looked into with utmost dispatch for the sake of my life,” the petition stated.
Beyond Akpabuyo, similar incidents involving Magistrates have reportedly occurred in other parts of Cross River State in recent weeks. In one instance, a Magistrate was said to have fled her residence after threats were made to forcibly open her gate. In another, a judicial officer was reportedly harassed while travelling in a public mini bus on his way to attend an official judiciary event.
Legal practitioners and civil society observers warn that the growing pattern of intimidation poses a serious threat to judicial independence, particularly at the Magistrate Court level, which serves as the first and most accessible point of justice for many citizens.
They argue that threats against judicial officers over pending cases not only endanger lives but also erode public confidence in the justice system and encourage lawlessness, especially in land and customary disputes that often generate heightened tensions.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies in Cross River State have not confirmed any arrests in connection with the alleged January 5 incident. The matter remains under review at the Judiciary Headquarters as calls intensify for urgent intervention by the judiciary, security agencies and the state government to protect Magistrates and uphold the sanctity of the courts.