Justice Inyang Ekwo adjourned the hearing in the suit until Feb. 15, 2022, after counselling to the plaintiffs, S.A. Ameh, SAN, informed him that some of the defence lawyers had just served fresh processes on him and will need time to respond.The senior lawyer acknowledged that the court had, in the last sitting, adjourned to take all pending applications, including the preliminary objections and substantive matter in the suit.
Others are the Central Bank of Nigeria , Debt Management Office , Federation Account Allocation Committee , Incorporated Trustees of Association of Local Government of Nigeria , among others.NAN also reports that the court had, on Nov. 5, restrained the Federal Government from deducting the monies from the federation account to settle the judgment debt in relation to Paris Club Refund.
However, when the matter came up on Dec. 13, the judge fixed Dec. 21 to hear all pending applications. “In the absence of jurisdiction, the court will be acting in futility no matter how well a proceeding is conducted.“It is my opinion, that the jurisdiction of this court having been challenged by the preliminary objections upon the grounds which I have stated in this ruling, it will be improper and indeed, inappropriate to consider the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction or grant the prayers of the plaintiffs/applicants.