Court dismisses N1 billion lawsuit against former Minister, Abubakar Malami.
An FCT High Court in Kubwa has dismissed the N1 billion lawsuit brought against a former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
The suit, which also named civil servant, Ms. Asabe Waziri, the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and minister of Justice and the Federal Ministry of Justice, was brought by Abuja -based property developer Mr. Cecil Osakwe.
Justice Oluyemisi Adelaja struck out the case on Thursday due to lack of diligent prosecution by Osakwe. Adelaja stated, “The claimant is the one who filed the action and is required to be seen diligently prosecuting same but they are not in court and there is no reason for their absence before the court. They have, therefore, been absent without reason and consequent upon Order 32 Rule 4, this case is ordered struck out for want of diligent prosecution,’’ Adelaja ordered.
The lawsuit by Osakwe was a counteraction in response to a two-count charge filed against him by the Federal Government in June 2022. The charges under suit number: FCT/HC/CR/244/2022, accused Osakwe of advance fee fraud amounting to N130 million and criminal intimidation of Waziri, a staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. It was alleged that Osakwe had threatened Waziri with injury to her person and reputation with intent to cause her harm and even death.
Waziri was said to have purchased a two-bed property from Osakwe to the tune of N130 million at Maitama, an up-market district of the FCT.
Represented by his counsel, Mr. Victor Giwa, Osakwe’s lawsuit sought reliefs including an order directing Malami to pay the sum of 1 billion naira (N1,000,000,000.00) as punitive damages.
The developer also sought an order directing the defendants to pay jointly and severally the sum of one hundred million naira (N100,000,000.00) as general damages.
A Senior official from the ministry of justice commented on the case, suggesting that such legal maneuvers are often employed by individuals to evade criminal accountability and to intimidate and malign the Federal Ministry of Justice. The Ministry emphasized that it prosecutes cases referred to it by the police, as in this instance, and does not conduct investigations.
Voice of Nigeria
Credit: von.gov.ng
