FCT High Court dismisses ₦1.818bn professional fee suit against Abia govt

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Abuja, on Thursday, dismissed a professional fee suit seeking ₦1,818,357,756.86 against the Abia State Government.

The Abuja Court held that the action constituted an abuse of court process.

The suit, No. CV/1136/24, was filed by Olusola Oke, SAN.

The Court upheld a preliminary objection argued for the State by Ken Ahia, SAN, who had also successfully argued a similar objection in an earlier suit involving the same parties and claims.

In its defence, the Abia State Government contended that it had already paid over ₦2 billion to a previous consultant on the same subject matter, and further argued that Olusola Oke, SAN had acted as counsel for Imo State, the claimant in the derivation matter, while Abia State was represented by its Attorney-General, making the alleged fee claim unsustainable.

The Court held that refiling substantially identical claims amounted to forum shopping and ruled that the proper order was dismissal rather than being struck out.

By the decision, Abia State was spared exposure to a minimum liability of N1,818,357,756.86.