A former General in the Nigerian Army, Alhaji Abdul-Rauf Tijjani, on Tuesday sued the Lagos State Government and seven others at the Federal High Court, Abuja over alleged injustice meted out to him by officials of the state government.
Tijjani, who filed the suit, with number: FHC/ABJ/CS/690/2020, before Justice Inyang Ekwo, challenged the alleged sabotage of the execution of a court judgment, which returned his landed property in Lagos to him.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that respondents in the suit are the National Judicial Council, Federal High Court, Nigerian Bar Association, Justice A.O. Faji, Kazeem Adeniji (SAN), Attorney General of the Federation, Lagos State Government and the Governor of Lagos State.
In the fundamental human rights suit instituted in Abuja, the plaintiff asked Justice 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’s officials.
He also asked the judge to compel the NJC to pay another sum of N1 million for alleged misconduct of a Federal High Court judge, Justice A. O. 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.
Besides, Tijjani prayed the court to compel the Chief Justice of Nigeria to remove the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria on Adeniji and further de-bar him for alleged 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, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, allegedly converted his landed property in Shasha-Akonwonjo Area in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos to his personal gain.
He said as a result, he approached a court and got judgment in his favour on January 31, 2014.
He, however, said 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 personal lawyer, Adeniji, was appointed Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice for Lagos State and subsequently became an interested party in the matter.
Tijjani further averred that following the appointment of Adeniji, he disengaged with his law firm and turned against him by frustrating his case.
When the matter was mentioned on Tuesday, Justice Ekwo ordered that the processes in the matter be served on all the respondents and fixed July 13 for hearing.
