Human rights lawyer and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu, has accused the Kogi State Government of failing to pay statutory entitlements owed to retired judges in the state.
In a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, Odinkalu alleged that the administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo is “starving retired judges” by withholding their retirement benefits, describing the situation as unjust and unlawful.
According to him, the affected judicial officers include former Chief Judge of Kogi State, Justice John Bayo Olowosegun; former President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Yunusa Musa; as well as Justices Sunday Omeiza Otu, Olorunfemi Richard Olorunju, Esther O. Haruna, Prof. Andrew Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, Olutimehin Samuel Obayomi, and Elias Adem Egwu.
Odinkalu disclosed that the retired judges have now formally served notice on the Kogi State Government of their intention to institute legal action to recover their unpaid entitlements.
He stressed that the alleged failure to pay the judges undermines the independence of the judiciary and violates constitutional and statutory provisions guaranteeing the welfare of judicial officers, both serving and retired.
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