Lawyer Drags Malami, Others To Court Over ₦1 Trillion Rights Violation

A legal practitioner, Tonye Jaja, has filed a N1 trillion lawsuit against former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and five others at the Federal High Court in Abuja, alleging unlawful removal from office and violations of his fundamental rights.

In the suit, filed under case number FHC/ABJ/CS/125/2026, Jaja is seeking N1 trillion in damages, a public apology in two national newspapers, and other declaratory reliefs. The respondents in the case include Malami; former Solicitor-General of the Federation, Dayo Apata; the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation; the Nigeria Police Force (NPF); and the Department of State Services (DSS).

Jaja was appointed Chairman of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) on May 13, 2019, for a four-year tenure. He contends that he was removed from office without any prior query or fair hearing, a decision formalised in a letter dated October 15, 2020, and signed by Apata.

“The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents sacked the applicant… without giving the applicant opportunity to be heard,” Jaja stated in court documents.

Court filings indicate that Jaja had previously lodged a formal complaint against the Director-General of the Copyright Commission and submitted it directly to Malami. He alleged that, rather than addressing the complaint, Malami and the other respondents orchestrated his removal and reportedly spent ₦2 million on a televised announcement of his dismissal.

The suit further details alleged harassment by security agencies. Jaja claimed that police officers summoned him at Malami’s behest and informed him, “They have seen that his hands are clean… but the 1st respondent paid them to deal with and torment the applicant.” He also accused the DSS of being involved, stating that officers indicated they were acting under Malami’s instructions but later allowed him to leave after confirming his innocence.

Jaja said he had written to the President seeking reinstatement, but his appeals went unanswered. He added that other stakeholders, including the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Garki Branch, and senior lawyers, also petitioned on his behalf without success.

In his suit, Jaja alleged that his assistance to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in exposing Malami and one Mr. Ubani may have prompted retaliatory actions against him. He is now asking the court to declare his removal unconstitutional, award N1 trillion in damages, order a public apology, and approve ₦5 million to cover litigation costs.

The Federal High Court has not yet scheduled a hearing for the case.

Separately, Malami is currently facing money laundering charges alongside his wife and son in a different matter.