The Kogi State Pension Commission has disclosed that ₦278.07 million was paid to fifteen retired judicial officers between January and October 2026, whereas demanding a retraction and apology from Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mutalubi Ojo Adebayo, over alleged private assaults on Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and his predecessor, Yahaya Bello.
In a press release issued yesterday and signed by its Director-General, Hajia Mariam Ozioma Abedo, the fee mentioned the funds had been made consistent with verified entitlements and obtainable authorities assets.
The assertion was a response to a publication dated October 23, 2026, attributed to Adebayo, a former Attorney-General of Oyo State, regarding excellent retirement advantages of former judicial officers in Kogi State.
While acknowledging the fitting of residents and authorized practitioners to demand accountability, the fee faulted what it described as offensive language, sweeping allegations and private assaults in opposition to Ododo, Bello and different public officers.
It maintained that excellent gratuities didn’t indicate hostility in the direction of the judiciary or unwillingness to fulfill the federal government’s obligations, noting that the state should stability funds to retirees with funding for salaries, pensions, infrastructure, healthcare, schooling and safety.
The fee additionally rejected descriptions allegedly used in opposition to Ododo, together with “puppet”, “effigy”, “pawn” and “toy”, insisting that such expressions didn’t set up whether or not retirement advantages had been withheld or cost selections improperly influenced.
It challenged Adebayo to offer credible proof for his allegation that Bello controls the incumbent governor and would stop the settlement of judicial officers’ entitlements.
“The rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria is a mark of professional distinction that carries commensurate responsibilities. It is no licence to insult public office holders, speculate about their motives or substitute provocative language for verifiable evidence,” the assertion mentioned, including that severe allegations required credible proof.
The fee urged Adebayo to determine any particular beneficiary whose entitlements had been wrongly dealt with and search clarification from the suitable authorities.
It reaffirmed that Ododo’s administration remained open to authentic scrutiny however insisted that public criticism ought to be primarily based on verifiable info and reasoned arguments.
It gave Adebayo 24 hours to withdraw the alleged abusive descriptions and unsupported private allegations in opposition to Ododo and Bello, publish an unequivocal apology by way of the identical channels used to flow into the unique publication, and proper the assertion that no funds had been made to retired judicial officers.
The fee warned that failure to conform would immediate it to petition the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee and the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee over what it described as conduct elevating considerations concerning the requirements of restraint, dignity {and professional} duty anticipated of a authorized practitioner, notably a SAN.
It reaffirmed its dedication to participating retired judicial officers and different pensioners on their verified entitlements, stressing that the general public deserved correct data and that authentic retirement advantages ought to be settled by way of accountable administration, sound monetary administration and constructive engagement.
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