The Federal High Court in Lagos has declared the sale of Nigeria Air Ltd to Ethiopian Airlines as null and void.
The ruling was delivered on Monday by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, who ordered that the Federal Government’s proposed establishment of a national carrier, Nigeria Air, should be halted.
The judgement came as a relief to the plaintiffs, the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria and five other key players in the aviation industry.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa granted all the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs, with the exception of a ₦2 billion claim for damages.
This claim was for the alleged wrongful exclusion and the alleged unlawful bidding and selection processes involved in the Nigeria Air project.
The plaintiffs in the suit included the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators, Azman Air Services Limited, Air Peace Limited, Max Air Limited, United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited, and Topbrass Aviation Limited.
They had filed the suit against Nigeria Air Limited, Ethiopian Airlines, Senator Hadi Sirika (the former Minister of Aviation), and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
In their suit, the plaintiffs sought an order to nullify the entire bidding and selection process for the Nigeria Air project.
They argued that the approval and selection of Ethiopian Airlines by the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and the former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, were unlawful.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa’s ruling stressed the importance of transparency and fairness in governmental transactions, especially those involving significant national projects.
The judge’s decision has brought to light critical concerns regarding the management and procedural integrity of the Nigeria Air project.
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