Benue Government Ordered To Pay Former Officials N57 Million Within Hours

A Senior District Court in Makurdi has directed the Benue State Government to pay about N57 million to 14 former senior officials who served under the administration of ex-Governor Samuel Ortom.

The presiding judge, Kevin Mbanongun, issued the order on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, instructing the Operational Manager of Fidelity Bank Plc to comply within five hours of receiving the court notice. The payment, according to the judgment, covers unpaid severance benefits owed to the officials after they left office.

Those listed as beneficiaries include former Chief of Staff to the Governor, Terwase Orbunde, Senator Titus Zam, Simon Abua, Emmanuel Manger, Prof. Jonathan Uever, Dr. Mathew Mnyam, Tahav Agerzua, and Shimataver Aondoakaa. Others are Merga Kachina, the late Shima Ayati, Stephen Tyochir, Tsenongo Abacha, James Uloko, and Sam Unom.

The case began after the affected officials filed a suit seeking payment of their severance entitlements, which they said had been approved in their appointment letters but left unsettled. Their lawyer, Barrister Ocha Ulegede, initiated garnishee proceedings following a summary judgment delivered by the National Industrial Court in Makurdi on December 13, 2024—a decision the state government allegedly ignored.

Following the court’s latest ruling, the funds are expected to be released from the state’s account with Fidelity Bank. However, as of press time, the payment had yet to be confirmed, despite the garnishee order being served at about 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

One of the beneficiaries, Tahav Agerzua, said the decision marked an end to their long struggle for justice, noting that repeated appeals had been made to the authorities before the matter reached the court. He added that the Ministry of Finance had earlier approved part of the payments during the final months of the Ortom administration, with some beneficiaries already settled.

The ruling adds to the financial pressures on the current Benue administration, which has faced growing demands to clear outstanding obligations inherited from its predecessor.