A former chairman of the governing board of the Nigerian Copyright Commission,NCC, Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, has filed a fundamental rights suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja against the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, and five others for alleged victimisation and unlawful removal from office.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/125/2026, Jaja is seeking N1 trillion in damages, a public apology, and several declaratory reliefs against Malami, Dayo Apata, former solicitor-general of the federal government, the office of the attorney-general of the federation, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Department of State Services, DSS.
Jaja averred that he was appointed board chair on May 13, 2019, for a four-year term, but was removed without being queried or given a chance to defend himself before the expiration of his tenure.
According to his court filings, after he reported complaints about the commission’s director-general to Malami, “the 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th respondents sacked the applicant… without any query and without giving the applicant opportunity to be heard.”
Jaja avered that while serving in that capacity, he lodged a complaint against the director-general of the commission and formally reported the matter to Malami, then attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice.
In the suit Jaja said he personally met Malami in his office and “gave the 1st respondent details of his complaint against the director-general of the Nigerian Copyright Commission.”
He said that his removal was conveyed in a letter dated October 15, 2020, allegedly authored by Apata, and that he “was not given an opportunity to be heard.”
Also Read: DSS takes in Malami on charges of terror financing
Jaja alleged that Malami “paid N2,000,000 for television announcement” of his sack.
He also claimed he was subjected to intimidation by security agencies, alleging that after honouring a police invitation, officers told him “that they have seen that his hands are clean,” but added that “the 1st respondent paid them to deal with and torment the applicant.”
On the involvement of DSS, he claimed that the secret police said “it was the 1st respondent that instructed them to deal with him,” before the agency reportedly said it had found him innocent and let him go.
He added that several individuals and institutions also wrote letters calling for his reinstatement, including the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Nigerian Bar Association, Garki branch, senior lawyers, and civil service groups, noting that all efforts failed.
He also claimed that he helped the EFCC in “exposing” Malami and one Mr Ubani, “which led to both of them scheming to deal with the applicant.”
Jaja is asking the court to declare that his removal without a hearing violated his constitutional rights and to order “payment of one trillion naira jointly and severally” as compensation.
He also wants a public apology in two national newspapers and N5 million as cost of the suit.
The court is yet to fix a hearing date.
Crediblenewsng.com
