Court of Appeal orders Kogi Govt to pay ex-deputy governor N1bn salaries, entitlements

The Court of Appeal has ruled that the Kogi State Government must pay former Deputy Governor Elder Simon Achuba one billion naira in salaries and entitlements. The government had attempted to stop the payment, citing a dismissed panel's decision.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja, led by Justice Okon Abang, unanimously upheld the judgment, stating that the state was entitled to take the case to the Supreme Court. Justice Abang criticized the government's request as frivolous and baseless, imposing a fine of N3 million on their lawyer.

Despite the government's plea to stop execution, the court maintained that the decision was final and must be implemented. The case originated from Achuba's impeachment in 2019, with the National Industrial Court ordering the state to pay his dues in November 2020.