Court fixes Dec 13 for suit to stop withdrawal of $418m from states

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday adjourned to December 13, the suit by 36 states challenging the bid by the federal government to deduct $418m from their bank accounts.

The federal government had planned to deduct the sum through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation for payment of contractors and Paris Club refund consultants.

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At the resumed hearing, Justice Inyang Ekwo granted an application by the states through their counsel, Jibrin Okutepa (SAN) to regularize their processes.

Efforts by lawyers to some of the contractors, Wole Olanipekun and Olusola Oke, both senior advocates of Nigeria, to get the court to discharge an earlier restraining injunction against the deductions were refused by the judge.

The office of the Attorney-General of the Federation had contended that the refunds were part of judgments delivered at various times in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019, while two of the judgments were consent judgments based on terms of settlement entered into by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum in 2017 and 2019.