Abuja – A former General of the Nigerian Army, Abdul Rauf Tijjani, has slammed an N8.1 billion suit against the Lagos State Government and seven others before a Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged injustice perpetrated against him by state officials.
In the fundamental human rights enforcement suit, the plaintiff is challenging the alleged sabotage of the execution of a court judgment which returned his landed property in Lagos State to him.
He prayed Justice Inyang Ekwo to order the 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 the state officials.
He is further asking the court to compel the National Judicial Council (NJC) to pay another sum of N1 million for alleged misconduct of a Federal High Court judge, Justice AO Faji during the hearing of his matter.
In addition, the plaintiff also asked the court for an order for the trial of Justice Faji for allegedly perverting the course of justice in his case.
Tijjani is praying the court to compel the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) to remove the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) on 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 argued 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-Akonwonjo Area in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State in his personal gain.
He said, as a result, the plaintiff claimed he approached the court 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 officials.
The plaintiff claimed that his case got worse when his personal lawyer, Mr Kasheem Adeniji, SAN, was appointed the Attorney-General of Lagos State and subsequently an interested party in the matter.
The plaintiff further stated 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.
When the matter was mentioned on Tuesday, Justice Ekwo fixed July 13 for hearing and order service of the processes on all the respondents.
The respondents are the NJC, Federal High Court, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Justice Faji, Kasheem Adeniji, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Lagos State Government and the Governor of Lagos.
Sun News
