Court strikes out N1bn suit against Buhari, Emefiele

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 Godwin Emefiele over the hardship caused by the 2023 naira redesign policy.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, who presided over the matter, dismissed the suit on Monday due to lack of diligent prosecution.

The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/418/2023, was filed by Abuja-based lawyer Uthman Tochukwu.

He accused Buhari, the Attorney General of the Federation, Emefiele, the CBN, and two commercial banks of violating his fundamental rights through the controversial policy, which made it difficult for Nigerians to access cash between January and March 2023.

Tochukwu claimed that the policy restricted his movement and affected his dignity, as he couldn’t access funds kept in his bank accounts.

He demanded N1 billion in damages and also sought a court order to stop the continued withholding of old N200, N500, and N1,000 notes.

In addition, he asked for a public apology to be published in two major newspapers.

However, at Monday’s hearing, neither Tochukwu nor his lawyer, Bala Dakum, was present in court.

Justice Ekwo pointed out that the plaintiff had failed to show seriousness, noting repeated absences without any explanation.

Counsel for Emefiele and the CBN, Mr. Chikelue Amasiani, informed the court that the plaintiff had consistently failed to attend proceedings since filing the case in 2023.

He urged the court to strike out the matter due to the plaintiff’s lack of interest.

Justice Ekwo agreed with the defence and struck out the suit, leaving the plaintiff the option to revive the case later if he chooses to prosecute it properly.