The Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State, has struck out a ₦100 million lawsuit filed by Enugu Electricity Distribution Company against human rights activist Osita Obi over his alleged role in electricity-related protests held in 2019.
The suit, marked FHC/AWK/CS/07/2020, was instituted by EEDC, which sought damages against Obi following protests organized to challenge persistent power outages and electricity service issues affecting consumers in Anambra State.
The case was heard at the Federal High Court, Awka, before Hon. Justice Bala Khalifa-Mohammed Usman.
During the latest hearing, neither EEDC nor its legal representatives appeared in court.
Counsel to the defendant, Barrister Martin Obi, urged the court to dismiss the matter and award ₦1 million in costs against EEDC, arguing that the company had repeatedly failed to prosecute the case diligently. He noted that the matter had been pending since 2019 and had moved through several jurisdictions, including Abuja, Enugu, and Awka, causing significant expenses for the defendant.
In his ruling, Justice Usman held that the applicant had failed to diligently prosecute the matter and consequently struck out the suit.
However, the court declined the defendant’s request for an award of costs against EEDC.
Angel Network News (ANN) reports that
the decision effectively ends, for now, a legal dispute that arose from public protests over electricity supply challenges in Anambra State.
