A lawyer, Tonye Clinton Jaja, has instituted a N1 trillion fundamental rights enforcement suit against former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), over his alleged unlawful removal as chairman of the governing board of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC).
The suit, filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja, and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/125/2026, also lists the former Solicitor-General of the Federation, Dayo Apata; the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation; the Nigeria Police Force (NPF); and the Department of State Services (DSS) as respondents.
Jaja is seeking declaratory reliefs, a public apology, and an order directing the respondents to jointly and severally pay him N1 trillion as compensation for the alleged violation of his fundamental rights.
According to court documents, Jaja was appointed chairman of the governing board of the Nigerian Copyright Commission on May 13, 2019, for a statutory four-year tenure.
He told the court that during his tenure, he raised a formal complaint against the Director-General of the commission and personally reported the matter to Malami, who was then the supervising minister.
Jaja claimed that instead of acting on the complaint, the respondents allegedly conspired to remove him from office without issuing any query or giving him an opportunity to defend himself.
He alleged that his removal was conveyed through a letter dated October 15, 2020, signed by Apata, informing him that his appointment had been terminated without any prior hearing.
In the suit, Jaja further alleged that Malami approved the sum of N2 million for a television announcement to publicise his removal, an action he described as malicious and damaging to his reputation.
The claimant also accused the former AGF of orchestrating intimidation against him through security agencies.
He alleged that police officers invited him for questioning but later told him they found no wrongdoing on his part, adding that they informed him that they had been instructed to “deal with” him.
Similarly, Jaja claimed that operatives of the DSS invited him, only to later inform him that he was innocent and free to go.
Following his removal, Jaja said he petitioned the President for reinstatement but received no response.
He added that several stakeholders, including the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Garki Branch, senior members of the bar, and civil service organisations, also wrote in support of his reinstatement, without success.
Jaja further alleged that his travails stemmed from his role in assisting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to expose alleged dealings involving Malami and another individual, which he claimed led to a plot against him.
He is now urging the court to declare that his removal without fair hearing amounted to a breach of his constitutional rights and to compel the respondents to publish a public apology in two national newspapers, in addition to awarding N5 million as the cost of the suit.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.
Malami is currently standing trial alongside members of his family over allegations bordering on money laundering.
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