Former First Lady of Nigeria, Hajia Mariam Sani Abacha, along with her son, Mohammed Sani Abacha, have filed a lawsuit against the President, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and two others at the Court of Appeal in Abuja. They are seeking to reclaim a property in Abuja belonging to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, which was allegedly unlawfully revoked by the Federal Government and sold to a private company without the knowledge of the Abacha family.
The Abacha family is praying for the Court of Appeal to overturn the decision of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who dismissed their suit concerning the property on May 19, 2024.
The respondents in the appeal include the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (MFCT), Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Salamed Ventures Limited.
In their appeal, Mrs. Abacha and her son are requesting the Appellate Court to assume jurisdiction over their legal dispute and ensure justice is served. They argue that Justice Lifu made legal errors and did not uphold the principles of fair hearing in his judgment.
The Abacha family contends that they have the legal standing to pursue the case on behalf of the late General Sani Abacha’s estate and are challenging the revocation and sale of the property during the proceedings of their legal battle.
They are asserting that the revocation and subsequent sale of the property were done in violation of the law and without proper procedure. They are calling on the Court of Appeal to set aside the judgment of the lower court and rule in their favor.
No date has been set for the hearing of the appeal, as the legal battle between the Abacha family and the Federal Government continues.