The Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a N1 billion lawsuit filed against former President Muhammadu Buhari and former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, over the 2023 Naira redesign policy.
The suit was initiated by legal practitioner Mr. Uthman Isa Tochukwu, who claimed that the policy caused him severe hardship.
He alleged that his fundamental rights to freedom of movement and dignity of person were “violently breached” during the period the policy was in effect.
The plaintiff specifically told the court that within the period the policy was introduced by the former President Buhari-led administration, his movement was curtailed while his money in two commercial banks could not be assessed between January and March 2023.
Aside from praying the court to award N1bn 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 to restrain the Federal Government from withholding the old N200, N500 and N1000 denominations.
Likewise, he urged the court to compel the defendants to tender public apology, to be published in two major newspapers in the country.
However, during the proceedings on Monday, Justice Inyang Ekwo struck out the suit for lack of diligent prosecution.
The judge concluded that the plaintiff had abandoned the case due to his repeated absence without legal representation or explanation.
Counsel for the 3rd and 4th defendants (Emefiele and the CBN), Mr. Chikelue Amasiani, informed the court of the plaintiff’s consistent failure to pursue the matter seriously since filing it in 2023.
He prayed the court to terminate the proceedings, a request that Justice Ekwo granted.
What you should know
The N1 billion suit over the 2023 Naira redesign policy was struck out after the plaintiff repeatedly failed to appear or prosecute the case, leading the court to rule that it had been abandoned.
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