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DRAMA: Jibrin drops suit against Dogara, now seeks N1bn for suspension

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DRAMA: Jibrin drops suit against Dogara, now seeks N1bn for suspension
In a rather dramatic fashion, Abdulmumin Jibrin, on Friday dropped his suit against Speaker Yakubu Dogara over alleged budget padding.
He instead filed a fresh suit challenging his suspension and demanding N1 billion as damages.
Jibrin, the former Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, had filed a suit against Speaker Dogara and 13 other lawmakers before the Abuja Federal High Court on the accusation that they criminally padded the 2016 budget with about N40 billion.
In the suit, he had singled out Speaker Dogara, Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun; Chief Whip, Alhassan Doguwa and the Minority Leader, Leo Ogor as those who masterminded the alleged criminal insertion.
Other members of the House Jubrin sued included Herman Hembe, Umar Mohammed Bago, Zakari Mohammed, Chike Okafor, Dan Asuquo, Jagaba Adams, Haliru Jika and Uzoma Abonta.
Part of Jibrin’s claim was that Dogara and the other principal officers had persuaded him, as Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, “to admit into the National Budget the sum of about N30 billion”.
But Jibrin, who as a result of this allegation was suspended by the House, at the resumption of court sitting on Friday, through his lawyer, Mr. Chukwuma Nwachukwu, jettisoned all his claims and told the court he was no longer interested in continuing with the suit.
Upon the application by his lawyer, Justice John Tsoho consequently struck out the suit.
Jibrin however, in a rather dramatic fashion filed a fresh suit challenging his suspension from the House and prayed the court to award N1 billion against Dogara and Clerk of the House of Reps as punitive and general damages for his suspension.
He also asked the court to declare that his suspension amounted to a violation of his fundamental human right to freedom of expression and that the decision to suspend him was in breach of section 68 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
He further prayed the court to issue an order of injunction restraining the House from stopping him participating in the Committees of the House or accessing the legislative chambers to perform his duties.
The court presided over by Justice John Tsoho, fixed November 22 for hearing of the fresh suit.
By Ebere Ndukwu …

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