The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a high-profile lawsuit filed by the family of Nigeria’s former Head of State, General Sani Abacha.
The suit sought to prevent the revocation of the late military ruler’s property located in the Maitama District of Abuja and demanded N500 million in damages.
Justice Peter Lifu, presiding over the case, ruled against the Abacha family in a decision that concluded a nine-year legal battle.
The lawsuit was dismissed primarily on the grounds that the plaintiffs lacked the legal standing to initiate the case and that the complaint was already statute-barred at the time of its filing in 2015.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the lawsuit, brought forth by Mohammed Sani Abacha, the eldest surviving son of the late General, and his widow, Maryam Abacha, was aimed at overturning the Federal Government’s revocation of their father’s property on Osara Close, Maitama.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), the President of Nigeria, and Salamed Ventures Limited were named as defendants in the case.
The Abacha family has faced repeated legal setbacks regarding this property.
This dismissal marks the fourth time their suits have been thrown out by various courts, including twice at the FCT High Court and once at the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
In their statement of claims, the Abacha family recounted that between 2004 and 2005, then-FCT Minister Nasir El-Rufai ordered them to submit the property’s Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for recertification.
Mohammed Sani Abacha complied, providing the FCDA with the document and receiving an acknowledgment of the submission.
However, on February 3, 2006, the family received a letter informing them that the C of O had been revoked without justification.
Salamed Ventures Limited, represented by Senior Advocate James Ogwu Onoja, argued that the suit had lost jurisdiction as it was not filed within the legally required three-month period.
The court concurred, affirming that the revocation of the Abacha property was valid due to breaches in the right of occupancy, including the construction of unauthorized structures.
Consequently, Justice Lifu dismissed the lawsuit and ordered the Abacha family to pay Salamed Ventures N500,000 in legal fees.
This legal dispute occurs against the backdrop of Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to recover funds looted by the late General Abacha.
Over the years, various Nigerian administrations have successfully repatriated significant sums from overseas, including approximately $723 million from Switzerland. In total, the recovered funds allegedly amount to around $5 billion.
Recently, a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the Nigerian government to publicly disclose the details of the recovered Abacha loot.
The court directed President Bola Tinubu’s administration to reveal the exact amount of money stolen by General Abacha and to provide a detailed account of how the recovered funds have been spent.
This directive extends to agreements signed by former Presidents Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan, and Buhari regarding the recovered assets.
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