The federal capital territory (FCT) high court in Abuja has declared that the looters’ list released by Lai Mohammed, minister of information, is not a violation of the rights of those named.
In a ruling on Tuesday, Olukayode Adeniyi, the presiding judge, said the suit filed by Raymond Dokpesi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lacked merit.
Dokpesi had filed a suit against the federal government for abusing his fundamental human rights with the inclusion of his name in the looters’ list where he was accused to have illegally received N2.1billion from the treasury.
The media mogul, in a pre-litigation letter dated April 4, 2018, had demanded public apology and a payment of N500 million from Mohammed for defaming him.
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The judge said the disclosure of the alleged looters’ list by the minister on behalf of the federal government does not carry any force of law as the minister is neither the judge or the prosecutor in the criminal case pending before the federal high court against Dokpesi.
Adeniyi advised Dokpesi to rather seek a remedy through a libel/slander suit if he feels injured by the action of the minister.
The judge adjourned the libel suit filed by Dokpesi against the minister till November 9.
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