Court Stops Sale of Nigeria Air to Ethiopian Airlines
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Monday declared the sale of Nigeria Air Ltd to Ethiopian Airlines null and void. Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa delivered the judgment, halting the proposed establishment of a national carrier, Nigeria Air, by the Federal Government.
The judge made the order while granting the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs, the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, and five other stakeholders in the aviation industry.
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Justice Lewis-Allagoa held that all the reliefs sought are granted, except for the relief asking for ₦2 billion as damages for the injury suffered by the plaintiffs due to their wrongful exclusion and the wrongful action; unlawful bidding and selection processes for the Nigeria Air project.
Listed as the 1st to 6th plaintiffs in the suit are the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators, Azman Air Services Limited, Air Peace Limited, Max Air Limited, United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited, and Topbrass Aviation Limited.
The six plaintiffs had filed the suit against the first to fourth defendants: Nigeria Air Limited, Ethiopian Airlines, Senator Hadi Sirika (former Minister of Aviation, Federal Ministry of Aviation), and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
In the suit, the plaintiffs had asked the court to set aside the entire bidding and selection processes for the “Nigeria Air” project, as well as the approval, grant, or selection of Ethiopian Airlines by the former Minister Hadi Sirika and former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
