Federal High Court dismisses Abacha family lawsuit over Maitama property revocation – TrendyNewsReporters

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, July 22, dismissed a suit filed by the family of the late Head of State, Sani Abacha, challenging the Nigerian government’s revocation of his property in the Maitama district of Abuja.

The suit, filed by Maryam Abacha, the widow of the late dictator, and her eldest surviving son, Mohammed Abacha, challenged the revocation of the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for their villa in plot 3119, issued on June 25, 1993. The revocation took place in February 2006 under Nasir el-Rufai, the then Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), some 13 years after Abacha’s death.

The Abacha family sought the return of the property on Osara Close in Maitama, Abuja, and demanded N500 million for the alleged illegal revocation. The defendants in the suit included the FCT Minister, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), the Nigerian President and Salamed Ventures Limited, which later acquired the property.
Sani Abacha, who ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998, is often remembered for his kleptocratic regime and gross human rights abuses. Since his death, his family has fought numerous legal battles to recover seized assets at home and abroad.
The judge also ruled that the applicants did not have locus standi because they had not filed letters of administration for the estate. He declared that the revocation of the property was lawful, citing violations of the right of occupancy covenants, including the construction of buildings without approved plans.
The court ordered the Abacha family to pay N500 million in legal costs to Salamed Ventures Limited. This verdict marks the fourth major legal defeat for the Abacha family in their bid to reclaim the property, after earlier losses at the Federal Capital Territory High Court and the Court of Appeal in Abuja, all on jurisdictional grounds.
Sani Abacha took power on November 17, 1993, ousting the interim government led by Ernest Shonekan, installed by the Ibrahim Babangida regime. He led a repressive regime for five years and was planning to transition to civilian rule when he died suddenly in office in 1998.