By Milcah Tanimu
In a recent development, a British court has dismissed an appeal lodged by the administration of Bola Tinubu, affirming the earlier ruling by Justice Mary Clare Moulder. The court decision permits Louis Emovbira Williams, a victim of the State Security Service (SSS), to proceed with seizing $21 million and approximately £20,000 from Nigeria’s central bank account held with JP Morgan, as revealed in court documents obtained by the Peoples Gazette.
Justice Robert Bright, in a judgment dated December 19, 2023, stated, “The application of the defendants is dismissed, and the default judgment granted by Moulder J on 9 November 2018 remains in effect.”
Louis Emovbira Williams, a British-Nigerian citizen, had brought a lawsuit against the Nigerian government in a foreign court, highlighting the abuse and fraud he experienced at the hands of Nigerian authorities, including the repressive State Security Service, following a failed business deal.
Williams alleged that his torture and financial losses stemmed from a multimillion-dollar deal with Nigeria. In 1986, he guaranteed the payment of $6.5 million for the importation of foodstuff into Nigeria from England, per the Nigerian government’s instructions. The deal turned sour when the government failed to refund him, leading to his arrest, trial, and imprisonment by a military tribunal in 1986.
After escaping from Nigerian prison in 1989 and receiving a presidential pardon in 1993, Williams’ scammed funds were not fully compensated, despite the directive from then-military head of state Ibrahim Babangida. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) resisted making the payment, citing Nigeria’s sovereign immunity.
However, Justice Bright dismissed Nigeria’s immunity plea, emphasizing that the business deal involved funds transferred to a UK trustee in a UK bank, and thus, the Federal Government of Nigeria does not have immunity from the proceedings.
This judgment bolsters Williams’ case before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, where his legal team has filed a notice to withdraw the $21 million in accordance with the UK judgment. Despite procedural objections from the government’s legal representatives, a decision from the U.S. court is expected soon.