A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by the family of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, against the Nigerian government, challenging the revocation of a property in the Maitama District of Abuja.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment on the case, which was initiated nine years ago. The Abacha family sought the return of their father’s mansion on Osara Close in Maitama and demanded ₦500 million in compensation.
Justice Lifu dismissed the suit on several grounds, including that the case was statute-barred when filed in 2015 and that the plaintiffs lacked the legal standing to bring the case.
The suit was brought by Mohammed Sani Abacha, the eldest surviving son of the former military ruler, and the widow, Hajia Maryam Abacha, on behalf of the executors of General Abacha’s estate.
The defendants listed in the suit were the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (MFCT), the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), the President of the…