The Federal High Court in Lagos has voided the sale of Nigeria Air to Ethiopian Airlines.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa gave the ruling on Monday.
He declared the transaction invalid and legally ineffective, effectively blocking the federal government’s plan to establish Nigeria Air as the national carrier.
This ruling followed a suit by the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria and five other aviation sector entities.
The plaintiffs had raised concerns about their exclusion from the project and the flawed bidding process.
The court granted most of the plaintiffs’ prayers but denied their claim for N2 billion in damages.
The court’s decision puts the future of Nigeria Air on hold, pending further judicial review and potential changes to the project’s execution.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit comprise the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, along with Azman Air Services Limited, Air Peace Limited, Max Air Limited, United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited, and Topbrass Aviation Limited.
The defendants were Nigeria Air Limited, Ethiopian Airlines, former Minister of Aviation Senator Hadi Sirika, the Federal Ministry of Aviation, and former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
