2001 Zaki-Biam Massacre: Court Restrains CBN From Paying N4bn

The Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State Capital, has granted an interim order restraining the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from paying a tranche of promissory notes valued at N4 billion meant for the settlement of compensation arising from the 2001 Zaki-Biam massacre.

The order, granted by Justice Joshua Raphael Egbe on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, in favour of the Judgement Creditors, is to preserve the subject matter of the suit pending the hearing of a motion on notice filed by the plaintiffs.

The court’s decision followed an ex parte application by the plaintiffs’ counsel, led by B. T. Adanyi, Esq, who represented the Judgment Creditors, who argued that the N4 billion tranche was due for payment on 9 October and that the subject matter of the suit could be “dissipated” if the payment was made before the court determined the issues raised in the substantive application.

Counsel for the plaintiffs, Chris Alashi, told journalists after the proceedings that the case arose from the military invasion of Katsina-Ala, Kwande, Kum and Logo Local Government Areas, popularly known as the “Zaki-Biam Massacre” in 2001, for which victims subsequently instituted legal proceedings against the Federal Government.

According to Alashi, the plaintiffs initially obtained a judgment of N41.8 billion, following which the Federal Government appealed the decision.

He said the Federal Government later opted for an out-of-court settlement, resulting in a consent judgment of N8 billion entered by the Court of Appeal, which ordered payment of the Judgement Sum into a bank account approved by the Judgment Creditors.

Alashi said the present dispute arose from the issuance of Promissory Notes in respect of the N8 billion Judgment Sum, alleging that strange persons who are not among the judgment creditors obtained them.

He said the first tranche, valued at N4 billion, was due for payment on 9 October 2026, prompting the plaintiffs, who are the Judgment Creditors, to seek an urgent preservative order from the court.

According to him, the plaintiffs were concerned that payment of the Judgement Sum via Promissory Notes before the court determined the issues could frustrate the proceedings.

Justice Egbe, after considering the application moved by Dr D. O. Penda, granted the reliefs sought in the ex parte application, directing that the subject matter be preserved pending the hearing of the motion on notice within 14 days.

Counsel to the seventh defendant, P.N. Joji, who held the brief of Barrister Darlington Onyekwere, asked the court for time to enable the 7th Defendant, J. K Gadzama, SAN, filed his response to the processes served on him.

There was no objection from counsel representing the defendants to the court’s decision.

Counsel to the CBN, Professor Chukwuemeka Anyogu, told journalists that the apex bank had no dispute with complying with whatever order the court made in the matter.

Anyogu explained that the CBN’s role was essentially to comply with the law and the directives of the relevant authorities concerning the payment of the Judgement Sum.

He said that where the court ordered that payment be withheld, the CBN would abide by the order.

Anyogu added that the bank was not in a hurry to make the payment where a court order had placed an embargo on it.

The matter was subsequently adjourned to 14 October 2026, for hearing of the motion on notice.

The Zaki-Biam litigation originates from the military operation in four Local Government Areas of Benue State in 2001, following the killings of hundreds of Victims by the Nigerian Army and survivors later pursued compensation through the court.