The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a staggering £950 trillion fundamental rights suit filed by businessman Tunde Omosebi against former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and others, describing the case as “highly unreasonable.”
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice James Omotosho struck out the case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/767/2024, citing procedural irregularities and the absence of a reasonable cause of action.
Initially, Omosebi filed the suit on June 5, 2024, naming Hallies & Partner Ltd, Atiku Abubakar, Clifford Odibe, and Daniel Mbohok as the 1st to 4th defendants. However, by May 5, he had amended the suit without the court’s permission, increasing the number of defendants to 13.
In his statement attached to the motion, Omosebi, who described himself as a businessman and politician, claimed to hold the positions of Chairman of the Federal Executive Council and Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He alleged that agents of Hallies & Partner Ltd assaulted and intimidated him at his office on July 6, 2023, in a manner that infringed upon his liberty and dignity.
Omosebi demanded £950 trillion in compensation for the alleged assault, criminal intimidation, and resulting trauma. He also sought an order compelling the defendants (Atiku and 13 others) to “tender public apologies in national and international media outlets in perpetuity.”
Additionally, he requested a £95 trillion exemplary damages award and an injunction barring the defendants and their associates from coming within 20 kilometers of his businesses and properties.
Justice Omotosho criticized the manner in which the suit was amended, emphasizing the procedural flaw of adding more defendants without the court’s consent. He stressed the need for courts to preserve judicial time and resources by filtering out baseless and frivolous cases.
“We cannot continue this way because the temple of justice is not open for everything,” he said.
The judge further revealed that Omosebi had also filed a separate suit against the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, and others, seeking £990 trillion in damages. That case is still pending, and the court advised Omosebi to await judgment.
In the related CBN case, the court has scheduled June 4 to rule on the preliminary objections raised by the defendants.
Justice Omotosho also used the occasion to caution members of the legal profession, especially the Nigerian Bar Association, against filing frivolous lawsuits.
