High Court Orders Federal Government To Pay El-Rufai 1 Million Naira For Deliberate Refusal To Renew His International Passport

A Federal High Court in Abuja, Tuesday, ordered the Federal Government to pay the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Nasir el-Rufai, N1 million for deliberately refusing to renew his international passport in 2009.

Delivering judgment on a suit filed before the court by the ex-minister, with a view to enforcing his fundamental rights, Justice Abdul Kafarati said the government was unable to show any verifiable reason the plaintiff’s international passport was not renewed as he had requested via an application.

Consequently, Justice Kafarati awarded N1 million as general damages against the government, stressing that the action meted against the plaintiff was purely discriminatory. el-Rufai had listed the Minister of Interior, Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Director-General of National Intelligence Agency and Attorney- General of the Federation as defendants in the suit.

He specifically asked the court via an ex-parte application, to make an order granting him leave to apply for the enforcement of his fundamental rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement, freedom of expression and freedom from discrimination guaranteed under Chapter Four of the 1999 Constitution. In the ex-parte application filed by Mr. A. U. Mustapha, el-Rufai sought for seven principal reliefs’, which were challenged by the respondents, who pleaded the court to dismiss the case for being incompetent.

The respondents equally argued that the suit constituted an abuse of court process, contending that it ought to have been brought by way of motion on notice. However, Justice Kafarati, in his judgment yesterday, noted that the AGF, being the chief law officer of the country was joined in the matter, as a necessary party, even as he certified the suit as competent.

He said: “I found no merit in their objections and, therefore, strike them out. I have gone through the applicant’s application and concluded that he deserved to be granted this application.”