Appeal Court Orders CBN to Release ₦2.5bn to 110 Illegally Sacked ABU Workers

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed fresh attempts by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) to block the payment of ₦2.5 billion owed to 110 university workers who were unlawfully dismissed nearly three decades ago.

In two unanimous judgments delivered by a three-member panel, the appellate court ordered the CBN to immediately release the funds to the affected former ABU employees, bringing a major legal battle that began in the 1990s closer to an end. The money, which has been in the custody of the apex bank since 2018, is meant to settle judgment debts arising from the workers’ незакон dismissal in 1996.

Delivering the lead judgment, Justice Okon Abang firmly rejected arguments by the CBN that the workers could not use garnishee proceedings to enforce payment against the bank. He also dismissed the claim that the consent of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice was required before the money could be released.

Justice Abang went further to warn that stiff sanctions could be imposed on top officials of the CBN if the bank continues to delay or frustrate compliance with the court’s orders. He described the bank’s resistance as unjustified, particularly given that the funds were already set aside for payment.

The appeal court also upheld the earlier decision of the National Industrial Court, which found that the 110 workers were unlawfully laid off in 1996 by the then Sole Administrator of ABU, General Mamman Kontagora. That court had ordered the university to pay their outstanding entitlements.

Both the CBN and ABU had separately challenged the enforcement of the judgment, faulting the use of garnishee proceedings to recover the money. However, the Court of Appeal dismissed both appeals as lacking merit.

Justice Abang affirmed that the workers acted within the law by initiating garnishee proceedings against the CBN to enforce the judgment. He also criticized the apex bank for spending public funds on prolonged legal actions aimed at delaying the payment of long-overdue entitlements.

The ruling is being seen as a significant victory for the former ABU workers, many of whom have waited nearly 30 years for justice, and a strong reminder of the obligation of public institutions to obey court orders without delay.