The Federal High Court in Lagos declared the sale of Nigeria Air Ltd to Ethiopian Airlines null and void on Monday.
In his judgment, Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa ordered that the Federal Government should not proceed with the proposed establishment of a national carrier, Nigeria Air.
The judge issued this order while granting the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs, the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, and five other entities in the aviation industry.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa granted all the reliefs sought except the request for ₦2 billion in damages for the injury suffered by the plaintiffs due to their wrongful exclusion and the unlawful bidding and selection processes for the Nigeria Air project.
The six plaintiffs listed in the suit are the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators, Azman Air Services Limited, Air Peace Limited, Max Air Limited, United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited, and Topbrass Aviation Limited.
The suit was filed against the first to fourth defendants: Nigeria Air Limited, Ethiopian Airlines, Senator Hadi Sirika (former Minister of Aviation), and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
The plaintiffs requested the court to set aside the entire bidding and selection process for the Nigeria Air project and the approval, grant, or selection of Ethiopian Airlines by the former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and the former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.