On Monday, April 28, Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja made a big decision in a case involving Nigeria’s former president Muhammadu Buhari and the former governor of the Central Bank, Godwin Emefiele.
A lawyer named Uthman Isa Tochukwu had sued them for a huge amount—N1 billion—but the judge ended the case, because Uthman and his lawyer stopped showing up to court.
The lawsuit started because Uthman said he faced a lot of trouble during the Naira redesign in January and March 2023. He told the court that during that time, he couldn’t move around freely or use his own money in the bank. He believed that his rights were not respected.
In the court papers, his lawyer, Bala Dakum, said:
“His fundamental rights to freedom of movement and dignity of his person were violently breached.”
Uthman wanted the court to:
- Make Buhari and others pay him N1 billion in damages.
- Stop them from keeping old Naira notes (₦200, ₦500, ₦1000) from people.
- Tell them to say sorry in two major newspapers.
But when the case came up again on Monday, April 28, Uthman and his lawyer were not in court—and they didn’t send any message to explain why. This wasn’t the first time they had missed court dates either.
Mr. Chikelue Amasiani, who spoke for Emefiele and the Central Bank, pointed this out and said:
“Since the suit was filed in 2023, both the plaintiff and his lawyer have not shown any seriousness and commitment to the prosecution of the case.”
Justice Ekwo agreed and said he believed the case had been “deliberately abandoned.” He then officially struck out the case, but left a small door open—Uthman can come back and try again if he’s serious.
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