Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja
has struck out a N1 billion suit instituted against former President Muhammadu
Buhari and former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele
over the hardships that trailed the 2023 Naira redesign policy.
The judge threw out the suit instituted by an Abuja based
legal practitioner, Uthman Isa Tochukwu on the grounds of lack of diligent
prosecution of the case.
In a ruling on Monday, Justice Ekwo said that he was
convinced that the plaintiff had deliberately abandoned his own case due to his
persistent absence in court without legal representation and any explanation.
The plaintiff in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/418/2023 had
dragged the former President, Attorney General of the Federation, former
governor of the CBN, CBN and two commercial banks before the court claiming
that they inflicted series of hardships on him during the redesign of the
Naira.
In the suit filed on his behalf by his counsel, Bala Dakum,
the plaintiff alleged that his fundamental rights to freedom of movement and
dignity of his person were violently breached.
Specifically, the legal practitioner claimed his movement
was curtailed while his money in the two commercial banks could not be assessed
during the hardship occasioned by the redesign of the Naira in January and
March 2023.
He therefore prayed the court to award N1 billion damages
against the defendants to be paid to him for the breach of his fundamental
rights.
The plaintiff also demanded an order of perpetual injunction
against Buhari and others restraining them from further withholding the old
N200, N500 and N1000 denominations.
Similarly, he demanded that the court compel the defendants
to tender public apology to be published in two major newspapers in the
country.
However, at Monday’s proceedings, both the plaintiff and his
counsel were not in court and did not offer any excuse for their absence.
Counsel to the 3rd and 4th defendants (Emefiele and CBN) Mr
Chikelue Amasiani drew the attention of Justice Ekwo to the persistent absence
of the plaintiff and his counsel in court during past proceedings.
Amasiani said that since the suit was filed in 2023, both
the plaintiff and his lawyer have not shown any seriousness and commitment to
the prosecution of the case.
He prayed the judge to strike out the suit and that the
plaintiff can come back to revive the case when ready to show seriousness.
In a brief ruling, Justice Ekwo agreed with the lawyer and
struck out the suit.
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