Massive Blow To Kogi Govt: Appeal Court Orders ₦1bn Payout To Ex-Deputy Governor Nigerians React

The Kogi State Government has suffered a major legal defeat as the Court of Appeal in Abuja ordered it to pay over ₦1 billion in salaries and entitlements to the unlawfully impeached former Deputy Governor, Elder Simon Achuba.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

A three-man panel of Justices — Hamma Barka, Okon Abang, and Oyejoju Oyewumi — unanimously dismissed the state government’s fresh bid to halt payment, describing it as frivolous and baseless.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Okon Abang declared that Kogi State had no legal right to escalate the case to the Supreme Court, stressing that the Court of Appeal is the final authority on civil matters from the National Industrial Court. He warned against “executive lawlessness” and made it clear that the judgment must be enforced without delay.

Justice Abang went further to sanction the state’s counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Adebayo Adedeji, for filing what he termed an “irritating and unwarranted” application. He imposed a ₦3 million fine, payable directly to Achuba, noting that a lawyer of Adedeji’s stature should have advised his clients responsibly instead of pursuing a hopeless case.

Quoting him, Justice Abang said: “Compliance with the Constitution should not be seen as cowardice but as maturity and restraint. When the law says the decision of this court is final, it is as clear as daylight.”

Achuba, who was controversially impeached in 2019, had first approached the National Industrial Court, which in November 2020 ordered the state to pay his outstanding salaries, allowances, and entitlements for 2017 and 2018, excluding security votes. That ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal in April 2024.

However, instead of complying, the Kogi State Government, under Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, made a desperate move to block enforcement and drag the case to the Supreme Court. The appeal court has now shut that door permanently, affirming Achuba’s right to his entitlements.

With this ruling, the ₦1 billion debt to the former deputy governor stands, and the government has no further legal escape route.