A group of companies have dragged the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of a Federal High Court in Abuja over an alleged unlawful award of 190 Km Rail Line construction to a Chinese firm without due process of law.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1426/2021, was filed at the Abuja Division of the federal high court. Justice Ahmed Mohammed will on February 17, hear the matter.

While Mr Rotimi, Mr Malami, the Federal Ministry of Transportation and the Chinese firm, China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) are the defendants in the suit, Duluidas Nigeria Limited, Duliz Dredging and Construction Limited and Consortium of Duluidas Nigeria Limited, Duliz Dredging and Construction Limited/Hebbelyixin Fastener Company Limited are the plaintiffs in the suit.

They also want the court to declare that the Minister and his agents were biased in their assessment of the bidding in favour of the CCECC.

The plaintiffs applied for an order of injunction against the Minister, his Ministry and the CCECC from continuing with the award of the contract and execution of same based on a flawed process.

In the alternative, they sought general damages to be quantified against the defendants on a compensatory basis and compound interest for loss of use of money.

Meanwhile, a hearing in the matter has been fixed for February 17, 2022.