The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, threw out a staggering £950 trillion lawsuit filed by businessman Tunde Omosebi against former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and several others, citing the case as “highly unreasonable.”
In his judgment, Justice James Omotosho ruled that the suit—numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/767/2024—had no reasonable basis and constituted a misuse of judicial time and resources.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Omosebi initiated the fundamental rights enforcement suit on June 5, 2024, naming Hallies & Partner Ltd, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Clifford Odibe, and Daniel Mbohok as the 1st to 4th defendants.
However, during the course of proceedings, he proceeded to amend the suit by including additional names such as Ali Olayemi and Phrank Shaibu, without obtaining the court’s permission. By May 5, the list of defendants had grown to 13.
In documents attached to the motion, Omosebi identified himself as “a businessman, politician and by virtue of his positions as Chairman, Federal Executive Council and Prime Minister of Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
He further claimed to earn income through projects and contracts executed by his investment portfolio, as described in the corporate charter.
Omosebi alleged that on July 6, 2023, agents of Hallies & Partner Ltd stormed his office, assaulted him, and issued threats that he claimed violated his liberty and personal dignity.
He consequently demanded £950 trillion in compensation for what he described as assault, intimidation, emotional trauma, and breach of fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the 2009 Fundamental Rights Rule and the Nigerian Constitution.
His prayers included a perpetual public apology from the defendants in both national and international media, spanning newspapers, television, magazines, and platforms of his choosing.
Additionally, he sought an order to bar the defendants and their associates from coming within 20 kilometers of his businesses and properties.
Omosebi also requested an exemplary damages award of £95 trillion against the parties involved.
In delivering the verdict, Justice Omotosho underscored the court’s duty to safeguard judicial integrity by dismissing claims that are frivolous or lacking merit.
The judge noted the irregularities in the suit’s progression, initially involving four defendants but unlawfully ballooning to 13 without the court’s consent. He held that these procedural flaws, coupled with the substance of the claims, rendered the suit baseless.
Omosebi was advised by the judge to await the outcome of another pending lawsuit he filed against Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Olayemi Cardoso and others, in which he is seeking £990 trillion.
Justice Omotosho, while expressing concern about a rise in such cases, cautioned legal practitioners and the Nigerian Bar Association to be vigilant about allowing clearly unmeritorious suits to proceed.
“We can’t continue this way because the temple of justice is not open for everything,” he remarked.
NAN further reported that Omosebi has a similar case against the CBN governor and several commercial banks, in which a ruling on the defendants’ preliminary objections has been scheduled for June 4.