Nigerian lawmakers slap $1bn lawsuit on US over alleged scandal
- The trio of Terse Mark-Gbillah (APC, Benue), Samuel Ikon (PDP, Akwa Ibom) and Mr. Mohammed Garba-Gololo (APC, Bauchi) say they have already notified their lawyers of the intention to sue the US
- Mark-Gbillah, speaking on behalf of the other lawmakers, said that the lawyers had been chosen and everything for the suit will soon be finalised soon but did not name the counsels or their firms
- The lawmakers say that their visas which were revoked by the US are yet to be returned even after they had been cleared of any wrongdoing
The exonerated lawmakers are angry at the US and want damages
Some members of the House of Representative have slapped on the United States of America a lawsuit worth $1 billion over an alleged sexual misconduct scandal some months back.
The Punch reports that the three lawmakers who were investigated and exonerated are angry that the US tarnished their images with the allegations that have now proved to be untrue.
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The lawmakers, House’s Deputy Chairman, Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Mr. Terse Mark-Gbillah (APC, Benue); Mr. Samuel Ikon (PDP, Akwa Ibom); and Mr. Mohammed Garba-Gololo (APC, Bauchi) have already notified their lawyers of the intention to sue the US.
The lawyers, The Punch reports, will file the suit in the US and the lawmakers would communicate with them through electronic means from Nigeria since they are still barred from entering the US.
Mark-Gbillah, on behalf of the other lawmakers, explained that the lawyers had been chosen and everything for the suit will soon be finalised but refused to mention the legal counsels or name their chambers.
Mark-Gbillah said: “We have identified lawyers willing to take the case and are currently planning for the required funds to initiate the action (for damages.)
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“We will communicate with our lawyers via other media for now, but we can be granted entry by the court if we are required to appear in person.
“We won’t be willing to disclose costs at this time.”
Recall that James Entwistle, a former US ambassador to Nigeria, had accused the three lawmakers of committing the alleged misconduct during a training visit to the US in April 2016, prompting the Nigerian legislature to call for an investigation.
The lawmakers were exonerated in October 2016 after a report by its Joint Committees on Ethics/Privileges and Foreign Relations found no wrongdoing on their part and the minister of foreign affairs Geoffrey Onyeama testified before House committees that the US did not provide concrete evidence to back up the allegations.