Yomi Fawehinmi

What's the worst thing a family member has ever done to you?

Today the 24th day of March 2026, the Supreme Court of Nigeria finally ended the most agonizing journey of 96 Nigerians teachers who were unjustly redeployed to their states of origin by the government of Benue State in 2006. These Nigerians who were experienced teachers were employed by the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board and or various local governments of Benue state. They were teaching in various local government schools in Benue State until sometimes in 2006 when the government of Benue State unconstitutionally decided to redeployed them to their states of origin. These teachers were 96 in number. They came from various parts of Nigeria. By operation of law there are not indigenes of Benue State but had lived all their lives in the service of Benue State. These teachers briefed me in 2006 to challenge their unlawful and unconstitutional deployments to their states of origin on the grounds amongst other things that the Benue state government lacked the powers to deploy them to their various states in Nigeria outside the territorial jurisdiction of Benue State and that it was discriminatory to send them away from Benue state to their States of origin simply because they are not indigenes of Benue State. These teachers put in many years of useful services to the educational growth of Benue state and due to no fault of theirs the government decided to treat them unfairly. In 2006 I filled the case for them. We sought orders to set aside the redeployment and and declaration that they were still in in the employment of the state government and orders that their salaries and allowances be paid to them until they leave office or until properly removed from their employment by due process of law. The case was assigned to Hon Justice Joseph Tine Tur J as he then was later JCA but now of blessed memory. His lordship delivered judgement on 18th February 2008 in favour of the 96 teachers. He ordered their reinstatement and the payments of their salaries and allowances from 2006 until they retired or removed from office in accordance with due process of law. Their redeployment to their states of origin on the basis that there were not indigenes of Benue state was held to be unconstitutional and discriminatory and therefore null and void. The Benue state government appealed the decision and the appeal was dismissed.There was no further appeal. Yet the government did not obey the orders. The salaries and allowances were not paid as ordered. Several efforts to make the government obey the orders proved unsuccessful. In 2018 or so we calculated the salaries and allowances of the teachers. We sent it to the government to pay. It ignored it. We enforced the judgment for the payment of their salaries and allowances vide garnishes orders. After hotly contested the garnishee was made absolute in 2021 or thereabouts. Despite the garnishee orders absolute neither the garnishee nor the Benue State government respected the court orders. We waited and waited to no avail. Judgments of court orders must be obeyed. So in 2024 we executed the garnishee orders absolute against the account of the garnishees. That was the beginning of another litigation. The Benue State government filed a suit for the interpretation of the garnishees orders absolute and the judgment of the court in 2008. We filed objections to the jurisdiction of court to interpret judgment. Our objection was sustained and the case dismissed. Appeal to the Court of Appeal was dismissed. The further appeal to the Supreme Court was dismissed. At today’s proceedings the Supreme Court gave decent burial to the case. To obtain immediate justice in Nigeria is difficult. But for the fact the Supreme Court was firm today the appeal would have been adjourned. The Supreme Court ended the excruciating journey of nightmare of 96 Nigerians today. These 96 Nigerians last received salaries and allowances in 2005. God bless the justices of the Supreme Court always.