An Abuja Federal High Court has thrown out a N1 billion lawsuit filed against former President Muhammadu Buhari and former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, over the controversial 2023 naira redesign policy.
The case was brought by an Abuja-based legal practitioner, Uthman Isa Tochukwu, who claimed that the policy caused severe hardship and violated his fundamental rights. Tochukwu sought N1 billion in damages, a perpetual injunction preventing the withholding of the old N200, N500, and N1000 notes, as well as a public apology published in two major national newspapers.
However, in delivering his ruling, Justice Inyang Ekwo struck out the suit for lack of diligent prosecution. The court noted that both the plaintiff and his legal representatives repeatedly failed to appear for court proceedings without providing any explanation.
“I am convinced that the plaintiff has deliberately abandoned his own case,” Justice Ekwo declared.
The court upheld arguments from the defendants’ counsel, who maintained that the plaintiff exhibited no seriousness or commitment to pursuing the matter. As a result, the suit was dismissed, marking another chapter in the legal fallout from the controversial currency redesign.
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