Legal Nigeria

Court dismisses MTN’s N3 billion case against Malami

A Federal High Court has struck out a N3 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Mobile Telephone Network (MTN) against Nigeria’s attorney-general Abubakar Malami.

Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of Lagos Division struck out the suit Thursday after the court was informed that Malami withdrew a letter to MTN where he demanded an alleged unremitted tax worth N2 billion.

In the suit, MTN Nigeria asked the court to award N3bn against Malami for infringement of rights.

MTN’s lawyer Wole Olanipekun argued that Mr Malami acted beyond his powers and violated the provisions of Section 36 of the constitution on fair hearing with “the purported revenue assets investigation” he carried out on the firm’s activities covering 2007 to 2017 by writing the letter to MTN.

Malami’s lawyer Habibat Ajana reminded the judge that the attorney-general had reviewed the issue and had decided to withdraw the demand letter.

Olanipekun said with the withdrawal letter from the AGF, his client would drop its suit.

Consequently, the judge struck out the suit.

Guardian News