A Federal High Court, Abuja, will deliver judgement on May 20, 2020, in a suit by a journalist, Godsgift Onyedinefu, seeking to compel the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) to prosecute the Ministry of Sports for allegedly denying her information on amount spent by the ministry on Nigeria’s participation in the 2018 World Cup.

Justice Okon Abang, adjourned the case for judgment after hearing the final arguments of the lawyers. Onyedinefu’s suit was filed on July 26, 2019 by her lawyer, Charles Musa.

Onyedinefu is asking the court to direct the ministry and the minister to make available the information she requested from them by her letter dated June 3, 2019, pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.

Among others, she wants to know whether there was budgetary allocation for the ministry’s participation in the Russia 2018 World Cup and if the allocation was approved in the 2018 Appropriation Act of the Federal Government.

Onyedinefu is also seeking a declaration that the failure, neglect and/or refusal of the defendants to make available to her the information she requested by her letter is wrongful, unlawful and amounts to a gross violation of her right of access to information established and guaranteed by sections 1(1) and 4 of the FOI Act.

“A declaration that the failure and/or refusal by the defendants to make available to her the information she applied for amounts to wrongful denial of access to information under section 7(5) of the FOI Act;

“An order compelling the Attorney-General of the Federation to initiative criminal proceedings against the Ministry and its minister for, among other things, the offence of wrongful denial of access to information under Section 7(5) of the FOI Act; and

“The sum of N1 million as exemplary and aggravated damages for the unlawful violation of her right of access to information established and guaranteed by Sections 1(1) and 4 of the FOI Act and wrongful denial of access to information under Section 7(4) of the Act.”

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