Sowore: Yahaya Bello’s Loot Could Fund Judicial Workers’ Pensions Nationwide

Abuja, Nigeria – June 2, 2025

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has thrown his weight behind the ongoing strike by judicial workers across Nigeria, condemning what he described as systemic injustice and glaring misplacement of national priorities.

In a scathing social media post on Monday, Sowore criticized the failure of the government to meet the demands of the striking judicial workers, asserting that the stolen funds allegedly linked to former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello could cover judicial workers’ pensions across the entire country.

“Yahaya Bello’s loot alone could fund judicial workers’ pensions nationwide,” Sowore said. “This is the tragedy of Nigeria—where looters are protected and workers are punished for demanding their rights.”

Sowore’s comment comes as judicial staff under the aegis of Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) continue their nationwide industrial action over unpaid salaries, pensions, and poor working conditions.

Yahaya Bello, who governed Kogi State from 2016 to 2024, is currently facing corruption allegations leveled by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which accuses him of misappropriating over ₦80 billion in state funds. The former governor, once touted as one of the youngest in Nigeria’s history, has evaded multiple invitations by the anti-graft agency and remains a controversial figure in the country’s political landscape.

Sowore’s remarks have added fuel to the growing public outrage over the case, especially amid rising economic hardship, widespread poverty, and discontent among civil servants. Many Nigerians are now drawing stark contrasts between the state’s inability to pay lawful wages and the staggering amounts allegedly stolen by political elites.

“It’s appalling that while civil servants beg for their entitlements, someone accused of looting billions walks free, shielded by political connections,” said Amina Sani, a legal practitioner in Abuja.

Civil society groups and activists are renewing calls for President Bola Tinubu’s administration to demonstrate commitment to justice by ensuring that high-profile corruption cases, including Yahaya Bello’s, are swiftly prosecuted and stolen funds recovered.

Meanwhile, JUSUN says the strike will continue until all outstanding demands are met, including the implementation of judicial financial autonomy as enshrined in the constitution.

As the strike paralyzes courts nationwide, observers warn that justice itself is under threat—not just from delayed rulings, but from a system that appears more lenient to the corrupt than protective of the righteous.