Ex-Army General loses N8bn suit against Lagos, NJC on alleged unlawful land seizure

A Federal High Court, in Abuja, on Wednesday, dismissed a N8.1 billion suit instituted by Major General AbdulRauf Tijani (rtd) against Lagos State government and six others over an alleged unlawful seizure of his expanse of land in Lagos State.

Justice Inyang Ekwo while delivering judgment dismissed the suit on the ground that it constituted a gross abuse of court process and for also being defective in nature and contents.

The ex-army chief, however, said he was not satisfied with the judgment and that a notice of appeal would be immediately filed to challenge the findings of the court.

Justice Ekwo held that the case of the plaintiff ran foul of section 63 of the Federal High Court Act having been instituted against a serving judge of the court in the discharge of his judicial duties.

The Judge held that immunity granted a serving judge in the course of judicial function was not ambiguous adding that, when such Judge erred, the appropriate place for remedy was not a law court.

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

The other respondents include the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Justice A. O. Faji of the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court, former Lagos State Attorney General, Abdulraheem Ade Ipaye, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Kasheem Adeniji, Lagos State government and Governor of Lagos State.

ALSO READ: Sokoto flags off construction of modern sports arena 

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

In arguing his case, the retired army general urged the court to intervene in the matter because a judgment entered in his favour has been criminally sabotaged allegedly by the Lagos authorities in connivance with the Federal High Court judge.

General Tijjani, although not a lawyer argued his case himself and prayed the court to look into the justice of his case, adding that what was before him was criminal in nature and not ordinary misconduct of a judge.

He alleged that after a federal high court in Lagos entered judgment in his favour in his suit challenging the unlawful seizure of his property by the Lagos authority, the judge in connivance with the then Lagos AG took the case file to a Lagos State High Court which he accused of now sitting as an Appeal Court over the Federal High Court’s judgment.

He urged the court to assume jurisdiction because both the leadership of the NJC and the Federal High Court are based in Abuja.

In his fundamental human rights suit, he prayed Justice 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.

The plaintiff also asked the judge to compel the National Judicial Council (NJC) to pay him another sum of N100 million for alleged misconduct of Justice A. O. Faji during the hearing of his matter.

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

However, respondents in the suit, except 3rd (NBA) and 6th (Adeniji SAN) all urged the court to dismiss the suit for lacking merit and being largely defective.

Justice Ekwo agreed with respondents that the suit was an abuse of court process and subsequently dismissed it.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Ex-Army General loses N8bn suit against Lagos, NJC on alleged unlawful land seizure