‘Unlawful land seizure’: Court dismisses N8.1bn suit against Lagos, NJC

AFederal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday dismissed a N8.1billion suit instituted by a retired army general Abdulrauf Tijani against Lagos State government and six others over an alleged unlawful land seizure.

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

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 when such judge erred, the appropriate place for remedy was not a law court.

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 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.