A Kogi-based lawyer, S. O. Akobe, has condemned the alleged threats directed to Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Kogi State Chapter, over the ongoing strike in the State.
In a notice dated 12th December, 2025, the Executives of Jusun, Kogi State Chapter invited its members to a meeting that would hold on Monday, 15th December, 2025, to deliberate on the developments regarding the strike, including the alleged threats directed at them.
It was alleged in the said notice that the Governor of Kogi State threatened to proscribe the Union and also deny judiciary staff December salary if they fail to call off the strike.
Reacting to this allegation as contained in the notice aforesaid, the fiery lawyer questioned the legitimacy of the alleged threats and described it as a “primitive enterprise”.
Speaking to one of our Correspondents on Friday, the lawyer stated that: “I read the said report of threats with a sense of disappointment. I want to believe that the repot is false. Governor Ododo has so far shown that he is a refined man of prudence. I doubt if the said threats actually emanated from the Governor whom we all cherish. But, if by happenstance, the threats came from him, then, I would say that it is the most primitive way of resolving industrial actions in the 21st century. The Judiciary staff in Kogi State are not asking for what is impossible. They are not asking for what is not due for them. In fact, they are not asking for a favour; they are rather asking for what they are legitimately entitled to. They cannot be cowed down by threats of any sort. A system that threatens its judiciary staff must be courageously cautioned and resisted. I call on the NBA to resist this open-market intimidation. The Judiciary must be respected!”
Speaking further, the lawyer stated, “Rather than threaten the judiciary, I rather call on the Government to look closely within and understand where the problem is coming from. The problem of the judiciary is the judiciary itself. There are several words unspoken, so much conspiracies uncovered and several manipulations undiscovered. These have brought about a clear case of ‘monkey dey work, baboons dey chop’. It is time to call a spade a spade and stop this silent exploitations of judiciary workers in Kogi State”.
While urging the government to adopt humane approach in resolving the dispute, the lawyer stated, “I enjoin our Governor who has won the admiration of many as a man of gentle disposition, to adopt a humane approach in solving this challenge. Adoption of military expressions, threats or dictator’s commands to solve a problem of this nature, with due respect, is absurd, primitive and very incompatible with the character of the Governor we all cherish”.
