Kogi State Government is caught up in a rather messy legal situation that has now reached the Supreme Court. The main issue? Just how much money the government really owes to its former Deputy Governor, Elder Simon Achuba. You’d think this would be straightforward, but nope—there’s plenty of confusion over some conflicting court rulings.
The Confusing Numbers: N180 Million or N1.07 Billion?
At the heart of the dispute is whether Achuba should get the N180 million that the National Industrial Court awarded back in 2020, or the much larger N1,070,860,138—the figure the Court of Appeal confirmed recently. The bigger sum covers unpaid salaries, travel allowances, and other entitlements from 2017 and 2018.
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To give you a bit of background: The National Industrial Court first ruled that Achuba was owed N180 million. This was for unpaid security votes over a period between April 2018 and August 2019. That amount, according to Kogi government officials, has already been paid. But then the Court of Appeal threw a curveball in April 2025 by upholding a separate judgment that basically said, “Nope, it’s actually over N1 billion.”
Naturally, the state government isn’t too happy about this sudden jump in figures. Their legal team, led by O. Adegboyega, insists the original court never decided on that larger amount. They argue the N1.07 billion is an interpretation, possibly a misinterpretation, of an earlier judgment. So, rather than just “pay up” like the Court of Appeal ordered, the government is asking the Supreme Court to step in and clarify what’s really owed.
What’s at Stake – And Why It Matters
Honestly, I can see both sides here. I mean, from the government’s perspective, you can’t just wake up one day and find you owe a billion naira more because of what might be a confusing legal reading. On the other hand, Achuba’s camp probably feels cheated, especially since he was impeached in 2019 amid some bitter disagreements with the state leadership. They believe he is rightfully entitled to every naira of those back payments.
The Court of Appeal’s ruling is pretty clear in its wording. It says Achuba should receive the full sum based on the 2017 and 2018 state budgets—salaries, travel allowances, and statutory allocations all included. Plus, the court slapped an additional N2 million in legal costs on the state for good measure.
But legally speaking, the Kogi government’s argument about judicial inconsistency carries some weight. They point out that the Court of Appeal’s decision refers back to a judgment that, to their knowledge, never explicitly laid out the N1.07 billion figure. This kind of back-and-forth is exactly why the Supreme Court’s final word is so important—it’ll either clear the confusion or add another layer to it.
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A Personal Note on the Complexity of Legal Disputes
I can’t help but find this whole episode a bit emblematic of how messy legal battles over public funds and political disputes can get. Often, what seems like a simple question—“How much do you owe someone?”—turns into a long, drawn-out fight full of technicalities, interpretations, and, sometimes, unclear rulings. It’s frustrating, on one hand, but also kind of inevitable when large sums and political rivalries intersect.
What’s more, this case highlights something about public service and politics in general: entitlements and benefits don’t always get handled smoothly, especially after a fallout like an impeachment. Achuba’s story isn’t unique in that regard, but it does show how a lack of clear decisions at the lower courts can create a ripple effect, dragging matters all the way up to the highest judicial authority.
So while we wait for the Supreme Court to settle this once and for all, the situation remains very much unresolved. And I’m guessing for everyone involved—lawyers, the ex-deputy governor, the government officials—the uncertainty is the hardest part.
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