The Federal High Court in Abuja has approved the hearing of a claim alleging abuse of office by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
The action also seeks an injunction requiring the AGF to pay N1 billion in damages to Cecil Osakwe, an international businessman and property developer.
The plaintiff told the court that the AGF used his office to coerce him into giving a government worker, Asabe Waziri, two units of three-bedroom flats in one of his properties in Mekong Close, Maitama, Abuja.
Osakwe alleged that Malami forced him to hand the property worth about N130 million to Waziri, against a subsisting order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
The plaintiff told the court that the AGF waded into a civil dispute his firm had with Waziri and used his position to supervise his continuous harassment by security operatives.
Alleging that his fundamental rights were grossly violated, Osakwe said he sued Malami both in his official and personal capacity.
According to the plaintiff, Malami took the action, even though he was aware that the 2nd defendant had initially moved into the said property and stayed for over eight months before she was vacated from it by a lawful court order that terminated the sales transaction between both parties.
Aside praying the court to declare that the AGF engaged in abuse of public office, the plaintiff, urged the court to order him to pay N1bn as damages.