The Federal High Court in Lagos has stopped the sale of Nigeria Air Ltd to Ethiopian Airlines.
The court declared the sale invalid and ordered that the plan to establish Nigeria Air by the Federal Government should not proceed.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa made this ruling on Monday, August 5, 2024. The judge granted the requests of the plaintiffs, which include the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria and five other aviation companies.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa said, “The proposed sale of Nigeria Air to Ethiopian Airlines is declared null and void. The establishment of Nigeria Air should not go forward as planned.”
The plaintiffs in the case are Azman Air Services Limited, Air Peace Limited, Max Air Limited, United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited, Topbrass Aviation Limited, and the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria.
The plaintiffs had challenged the bidding and selection process for Nigeria Air, accusing it of being unlawful. They also sought compensation for being excluded from the process.
The court granted all the plaintiffs’ requests except for the claim of ₦2 billion in damages. The defendants in the case included Nigeria Air Limited, Ethiopian Airlines, former Minister of Aviation Senator Hadi Sirika, and former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami.
The plaintiffs wanted the court to cancel the entire bidding and selection process for Nigeria Air and the approval given to Ethiopian Airlines by Sirika and Malami.
The court’s decision means that the sale of Nigeria Air to Ethiopian Airlines cannot move forward, and the Federal Government must reassess its plans for establishing a national carrier.
