Court fixes date to hear suit filed by Fani-Kayode’s ex-wife

A Federal High Court, Abuja has fixed Nov. 29 to hear a suit filed by Precious Chikwendu against her ex-husband,  Femi Fani-Kayode.

The court fixed the date following the inability of Justice Inyang Ekwo to preside at the Wednesday’s sitting.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Chikwendu had, in a fundamental rights enforcement application, sued Fani-Kayode, the ex-Minister of Aviation, and four others.

The applicant sued the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police; Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force CID; Commissioner of Police FCT; CSP James Idachaba, Officer-in-Charge, Legal (CID), FCT Command, and her ex-husband as 1st to 5th respondents respectively.

Chikwendu is demanding the sum of N800 million as damages over the role played by the respondents in the alleged intimidation and harassment levelled against them by her invitation while proceeding was pending in suit number: CV/372/2021 in respect of child custody matters.

Besides, she also asked the court to restrain the I-G and his officers and men from intimidating and harassing her in any form, pending the hearing and determination of her suit seeking the custody of her four children, among other reliefs.

In the affidavit in support of the application, the ex-wife alleged that Fani-Kayode, who is also a qualified legal practitioner, had been using the police to harass and intimidate her despite the pendency of the matter in court.

She averred that: “The 5th respondent (Fani-Kayode) and I have four (4) children together and I am forcefully separated from our children who are all minors.

“Consequent upon the unbridled violence perpetrated against me by the 5th respondent and the forceful separation from our children, I filed a suit in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“Herewith attached and marked Exhibit P1 and P2 respectively are the Court processes in originating motion in Suit No.: CV/372/2021 and Motion No.: M/1262/2021.

“On 4th March, 2021 the 5th respondent herein responded to Suit No.: CV/372/2021 by filing a motion asking the FCT High Court to decline jurisdiction in the matter pending before that Honourable Court. Herewith attached as Exhibit P3 is a copy of the process filed by the 5th respondent herein.

“Rather than allow the contending matters placed before the FCT High Court to be ventilated by the parties and determined one way or the other by the Honourable Court; the 5th respondent has persisted in using police officers under the control of the Ist respondent, and supervised by the 2nd respondent, incessantly to intimidate and harass me with a view to interfering in the adjudicatory powers of a competent Court of Justice,” among others.