January 21, (THEWILL) – A former presidential aspirant under the All Progressives Congress in the 2023 elections, Tunde Omosebi, has filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Central Bank of Nigeria and six other defendants, demanding £990 trillion in damages.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/766/2024, was filed before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Omosebi is also seeking a court order to convert the CBN into the Reserve Bank of Nigeria.
The defendants listed include the CBN, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Zenith Bank, the Nigerian Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Ministry of Finance, named as 1st to 7th defendants, respectively.
Filed under the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009 and Sections 34, 35, 36, 41, and 46 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the suit alleges violations of Omosebi’s constitutional rights.
In an affidavit personally deposed to by Omosebi, he described himself as a businessman, politician, Chairman of the Federation Executive Council, and Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Omosebi accused the defendants of breaching an industrial agreement, obstructing his access to personal and corporate bank accounts, and denying him his fundamental rights. He claimed that these actions resulted in financial losses and emotional trauma.
According to the suit, Omosebi is seeking exemplary damages of £990 trillion and N5 million as litigation costs.
He also requested that the court compel the Corporate Affairs Commission to convert the commercial banks involved into “DRIG BANK” due to alleged financial irregularities.
The affidavit further alleged that the defendants failed to account for over £500 billion and $50 million entrusted to them by the plaintiff, with funds remaining inaccessible for over seven months.
Omosebi accused the CBN of perjury, claiming it presented misleading public statements that damaged his reputation. He further alleged that the defendants obstructed his intellectual property rights and denied him access to funds, contrary to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
The plaintiff argued that the actions of the defendants violated Sections 35, 43, and 45 of the Constitution, as well as the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy.
He prayed the court to rule in his favor, asserting that the defendants’ conduct undermined constitutional provisions, industrial agreements, and his financial credibility.
Justice Omotosho has fixed February 5, 2025, for the hearing of the case.
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