Nigerian Lawyer and Human Rights Activist, Femi Falana, has said he would sue the Federal Government, following an accident that occurred while walking to his office on Shehu Shagari way where he fell into a manhole and broke his leg. This is not strange as the lawyer is known to have taken the Government to Court on many occasions, even on issues Nigerians would dismiss as “petty things”.
The Lawyer who said he was hospitalised and wearing Plaster Of Paris, also stated that he would not leave it to God like ordinary Nigerians.
“I am sure you saw me limping and using a walking stick when I was coming in. I have decided that tomorrow I will sue the Federal Government”.
He stated this at the National Stakeholders Summit on Whistleblowing organised by the African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRIMIL), held at the Rockview Royale Hotel, Wuse 2, Abuja.
Other Times Falana had threatened to sue the Federal Government
In July 2010, Femi Falana took the Federal Government to the Federal High Court in Ikeja over alleged failure to ensure adequate medical and health facilities for all persons in the country; and to take the necessary measures to protect the health of the people, ensuring that they receive medical attention when they are sick.
In December 2011, Falana also sued the Federal Government for failure to establish education bank, saying it was illegal and unconstitutional, as it violated Sections 1 and 4, of Nigerian Education Bank Act (Cap N104) LFN 2004.
Falana recently withdrew a petition against the Nigerian Army at the Presidential Investigation Panel on Human Right Violations, over the continued detention of the leader of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.
In February 2016, the activist said he would commence legal proceedings against the Federal Government should it fail to recover loans, royalties, levies and other recoverable revenues amounting to $66.5 billion.
In April 2016, he also threatened to go to court if the Muhammadu Buhari administration goes ahead to borrow $5.5 billion from international creditors.
People suing for seemingly odd reasons in other Countries
In 2015, Saudi Arabia sued a twitter user for Twitter user for comparing the Kingdom to ISIS, over plans to execute a Palestinian poet who allegedly abandoned his Muslim faith.
In November 2016, a group of 21 youth plaintiffs’ age 9 to 20 years old filed a lawsuit against President Obama and various federal agencies for failing to protect the earth’s natural resources for future generations.
They argued that by failing to prevent climate change despite detailed knowledge of the dangers it poses, the federal government is violating their constitutional rights to life, liberty and property.
The Obama administration attempted to get the case dismissed on a variety of grounds. On November 10, a Federal Judge in Eugene, Oregon rejected all of the Government’s arguments.
Some environmentalists have hailed the suit and the power of the judicial branch in general even with Donald Trump’s denial of climate change and promise to “cancel” the Paris Agreement, which he eventually did.
An Israeli couple contacted a landlord they found online about their interest in an apartment, the landlord thought the couple were sincerely interested and took his property off the market, when they backed out, he took them to court for the month’s rent he lost. The couple had to pay more than $2,000 for an apartment they never rented.
Allen Heckard sued Michael Jordan for $416 million because he was stealing his likeness. He stated that he had suffered “defamation, permanent injury, and emotional pain and suffering” of being mistaken for the real Michael Jordan.
The case was dismissed because he never got a lawyer to represent him in court. When asked how he arrived at the amount of $832 million for compensation, he responded with “you figure with my age and you multiply that by seven and, ah, then I turn around and, ah, I figure that’s what it all boils down to”.
Robert Lee Brock sued himself for $5 million when he violated his own civil rights by taking alcoholic beverages and causing himself to get arrested. However, since he became a prisoner sentenced to 23 years and therefore have no income to pay himself, Brock asked the state of Virginia to pay these compensations. The case was dismissed.
