Court fixes July 22 for definite hearing of Ex-Army General’s N8.1bn suit against Lagos

The Federal High court in Abuja has fixed July 22, 2020, for definite hearing of the N8.1 billion suit filed by Maj. General AbdulRauf Tijjani (rtd) against Lagos State government.

Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed the definite hearing date on Friday following the confirmation that parties involved in the suit have filed and exchanged necessary court processes to join issues with each other.

The Judge had requested lawyers involved in the matter to brief the court the position of his directive made on July 13 that papers relating to the suit must be filed and exchanged to pave way for full-blown hearing of the suit.

The plaintiff who stood for himself confirmed to the court that he had filed and served his own processes on all the respondents.

Counsel to the respondents, especially to Lagos state government, the state Governor and Kasheem Adeniji (SAN), a former Attorney General of the state, Mr Jibrin Okutepa (SAN) also confirmed to the court that all his papers in respect of the case have been filed and served on the plaintiff.

Justice Ekwo in a short ruling announced that with the conclusion of the filing and serving of all papers in the matter, the stage is set for definite hearing of the suit.

He then fixed July 22 for definite hearing and warned that any party not in court on the date will have his processes adopted by the court as required by law.

Alhaji Tijjani had dragged the Lagos State government, National Judicial Council (NJC), the Federal High Court and other respondents to court challenging the alleged injustice perpetrated against him by officials of Lagos State and a serving judge of the Federal High Court.

The plaintiff is specifically challenging the alleged sabotage of the execution of a court judgment which returned his landed property in Lagos State to him.

In the fundamental human rights enforcement suit instituted in Abuja, the former army general prayed Justice Inyang Ekwo to order Lagos State Government and the Governor to pay him a cumulative compensation of N8 billion as damages for alleged injustice suffered in the hands of Lagos officials.

In the suit with number FHC/ABJ/CS/690/2020, the plaintiff is also asking the judge to compel the National Judicial Council (NJC) to pay another sum of N100 million for alleged misconduct of Justice A. O. Faji during the hearing of his matter.

In addition, the plaintiff also asked the court for an order for the trail of Justice Faji for allegedly perverting the course of justice in his case.

Besides, Alhaji Tijjani is praying the court to compel the Chief Justice of Nigeria to remove the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria on Mr Kasheem Adeniji and further de-bar him for an alleged act of misconduct.

In a 19 paragraph affidavit in support of the suit, the plaintiff averred that a former Attorney General of Lagos State, Abdulraheem Ade Ipaye now Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, allegedly coveted his landed properties in Shasha-Akowonjo Area in Alimosho local government of Lagos State to his personal gain.

He said, as a result, he approached the court and got judgment in his favour on January 31, 2014.

The plaintiff, however, said that the judgment could not be executed because of the alleged sabotage on the part of Lagos State officials.

The plaintiff claimed that his case got worse when his personal lawyer, Mr Kasheem Adeniji (SAN) was appointed Attorney General of Lagos State and subsequently became an interested party in the matter.

He further averred that following the appointment of Adeniji as Lagos AG he disengaged with his law firm, adding that the AG turned against him by frustrating his case.

He is, therefore, seeking the intervention of the court to restore justice and grant him the reliefs sought in the suit.

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