Ex-Army General sues Lagos State over alleged unlawful seizure of property

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5 years ago

A retired Major General of the Nigerian Army, Alhaji Abdul Rauf Tijjani has dragged the Lagos State Government and seven others before a Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the alleged injustice perpetrated against him by officials of the state.

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 after a period of unlawful seizure.

In a fundamental human rights enforcement suit, the former Army General prayed Justice Inyang Ekwo to order Lagos State Government and its governor to pay him a cumulative compensation of N8 billion as damages for alleged injustice suffered in the hands of Lagos state officials.

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

In addition, the plaintiff asked the court for an order for the trial 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 (CJN) to remove the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) from Mr Kasheem Adeniji and further de-bar him for the 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 (SAN) allegedly coveted his landed properties in Shasha-Akonwonjo Area in Alimosho area of Lagos State in his personal gain.

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

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

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

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

When the matter was mentioned on Tuesday, the trial Judge, Justice Ekwo fixed July 13, 2020 for hearing and ordered service of the court processes in respect of the matter, on all the respondents.

The respondents are the NJC, Federal High Court, Nigerian Bar Association, Justice Faji, Kasheem Adeniji (SAN), Attorney General of the Federation, Lagos State Government and the governor of Lagos.