The Family of the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, has lodged an 11-grounds of appeal against President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, following the revocation of their property situated within the Maitama highbrow district of Abuja.
In the appeal they filed before the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, the family, represented by wife of the late military leader, Hajia Maryam Abacha and her eldest surviving son, Mohammed, applied for the property to be returned to them.
They contended that the Certificate of Occupancy of the property marked FCT/ABUKN 2478, covering plot 3119 and issued on June 25, 1993, was unlawfully revoked by the Respondents and handed over to a company, Salamed Ventures Limited.
Aside from President Tinubu and Mr. Wike, the Federal Capital Territory Development Authority, FCDA, was also cited as a Respondent in the matter.
Specifically, the Abacha family, through their team of lawyers led by Dr. R. O. Atabo, SAN, is praying the appellate court to set aside the judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered on July 19, which stripped them of the ownership of the property.
They maintained that trial Justice Peter Lifu erred in law when he held that their claim to the property was previously dismissed by both High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and the Court of Appeal in 2009 and 2015, respectively.
The Appellants argued that the two courts merely struck out the case on the premise that the FCT High Court lacked the requisite jurisdiction to entertain it.
It is the contention of the Appellants that contrary to the position of trial Justice Lifu, the appellate court, stressed that only the Federal High Court has the jurisdiction to determine the matter.
They further alleged that though Justice Lifu had on his own, raised the issue that they were bereft of the locus standi.
Peoplesmind