CORAM

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MUHAMMAD SAIFULLAHI MUNTAKA-COOMASSIE        JUSTICE. SUPREME COURT

OLABODE RHODES- VIVOR     JUSTICE. SUPREME COURT

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PARTIES

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1. PATRICK MICHAEL

2. LEONARD ONYEJI

3. JOSEPH ABOJIWE

4. SANI YAKUBU

5. A.A. OJO

6. ABDU ALI KIDA

7. ABDUL IBRAHIM

8. ABDULKADIR BAMA

ABDULLAHI ABUBAKAR

ABDULLAHI ALABI

ABDULLAHI AUYU

ABDULLAHI G. SHEHU

ABDULLAHI KASSIM

ABDULLAHI MOHAMMED

ABIMBOLA BAKARE

ABUBAKAR HABIB

ABUBAKAR IBRAHIM

ABUBAKAR N. KETSO

ABUBAKAR S. GARKO

ABUBAKARM. ADAMU

ADAMU ABDUL

ADAMU ALI

ADAMU BUBA

ADAMU DANJUMA

ADAMU KADAMARDA

ADAMU MUSA BIU

ADAMU MOH’D

ADAMU SHUAIBU

ADO YAKUBU

AKILU LAWAN

ALHAJI A. ADAMU

ALHAJI B.A. THOMPSON

ALHAJI LIMAN

ALHAJI SAADU AREMU

ALHAJI YUSUF ADAMU

ALI AHMADU

ALI ARDO SHAFFA

ALI BABA

ALI DAUDA

ALI GARBA

ALI KALUA

ALIYU ISHAKU

AMODU ADA

AMINU BALA CHAFE

AMINU ISA GOBIRAWA

AUDU ALI

AUDU BAHAGO

AUDU MAIDALA

AUDU ZARANDA

AYANKA ANDOOR

AYINLA MAGAJI

BABAGANA SANNI

BALA CHANDLIMA

BALA MOHAMMED

BALARABEGANKO

BENSON B. ABU

BENSON SULE

BISI SHITTU

BOKA IDA

BUKAR MAIDUBU BIU

BUKAR SULE

BULUS DUNG PAM

BULUS P.GATIS

CHARLES AIZEBOKHAI

CHADO NDAKOTSU

CHIMAYI GALADIMA

DAVID A. OGUNREMI

DAN UWANI AZARE

DANLADI GUYOL

DANLAMI BAKO

ELKANAH SAMBO

ELIZABETH ADEOLA

EMMANUEL JEDAMI

EMMANUEL OKWULU

EMMANUEL T. AKALBUGH

EBEHWE F. IFEOMA

F.B. SALLAU

FATAI A. AMAO

FEMI ONI

FOLORUNSHO LAWAL

GABRIEL O. BAIYE

GAMBO HAULU

GARBA ADAMU

GARBA IBRAHIM

GARBA M. AUDU

GARBA MOHAMMED

GARBA MUHAMMED

GARBA TANKO

GARBA WANZAMI

GARBA YAKUBU

GARBA WUSHISHI

GOJIM GOWON

GODWIN EYA

GODWIN STEVEN

HAJIYA FATIMA AYOKU

HAMIDU T. JULDE

HAMISU ABDU

HARUNA BAWA

HARUNA BIU

HARUNA MALASHE MOH’D

HARUNA MOHAMMED

HARUNA ZAKARI

HASSAN ABDULRAHMAN

HASSAN BALAMI

HASSAN SALE

HAUWA D. ABUBAKAR

HEMBA AKILE

HENRY A. AJARE

IBRAHIM ADAM SOJA

IBRAHIM GARBA

IBRAHIM HARUNA

IBRAHIM KADARKO

IBRAHIM MADO WUDIL

IBRAHIM MOH’D YAKASSAI

IBRAHIM MUNIR

IBRAHIM R. ISHAQ

ISHAK BELLO

ISHAKU ABUBAKAR

ISMAILA IBRAHIM DANIYA

ISMAILA Y. RANO

ISHAQ BELLO

JACO Y. DINGSE

JAMES OLUBADE

JAMMA MADAKI

JIMOH DARAMOLA

JIBRIN ABULEGI

JIBRIN ISIAKU

JOHN. FABUNMI

JOHN ORINYA

JOSHEPH ODAH

KACHALLA GONI

KALE GANA MUSTAPHA

KAYODE KAJOGBOLA

KAWU ALH. GANA

LADAN BODINGA

LAWAL T. WUSHISHI

LAWRENCE T. ABE

LEONARO ZOMO

LINUS B. MALADI

L. BALA

M.B. OROK

M. A. LAWAL

MAI BUKAR GAZARI

MAIWADA MAIJAKI

MAL. YAKUBU JARI

MAGAJI HARUNA

MAGAJI UMARU

MAJORITY BINAUTO

MATHIAS OKO

MEGHI J. ABIOLU

MICHAEL E. ONOJA

MICHAEL ENOKELA

MICHAEL WADUKU

MIKO MOHAMMED

MOHAMMAD MAIGANA

MOHAMMED ALI

MOHAMMED BAGUDU

MOHAMMED BIREI

MOHAMMED C. BUBA

MOHAMMED D. MUSA

MOHAMMED ENOKELA

MOHAMMED HARUNA

MOHAMMED MAIGANA

MOHAMMED S. KOLO

MOHAMMED SULE

MOHAMMED TABACCO

MOHAMMED ZUBAIRU

MRS. ABIGAIL ADEWUMI

MRS. AJOKE ABIOLA

MRS. BABATOLU MORENIKE

MRS. CYNTHIA A. JOLAOSHO

MRS. FRANCIS A. OLALERU

MRS. MARY ASHILOLO

MRS. NURAO. YUSUF

MRS. OLAYINKA N. OSHINLOYE

MRS. UCHE IBIAM

MRS. WURAOLA BAIYERI

MUAZU WADA

MUHAMMED AHMADU

MUHAMMED GARBA

MUHAMMED MUSA

MUHAMMED SANI

MUSA AUDU

607. MUSA GAMBO

608. MUSA IBRAHIM

609. MUSA KADO

610. MUSA MAMAN

611. MUSA MOHAMMED

612. MUSA MOCH NTUWAN

613. MUSA SULE

614. MUSA USMAN

615. MUSA YAKUBU

616. MUSTAPHA IDAH

617. NANSAH C. KANNAYAL

618. NADABO B. TAKTAK

619. NUNKUR UMAR LAMSING

620. O.B. ALAO

621. OBA O. ABIRU

622. OJUOLAPE JOSHUA

623. OGUMGBEDE F. O.

624.OKOLO T. HENRY

625. OLAREWAJU D. ABAYOMI

626. P. A. ARISA

627. PAULA. ALAWUMI

628. PATRICK I. ABAH

629. PATRICK I. EDERIBHALO

630. PETER IBRAHIM

631. PETER JEREMIAH

632. PETER OWU

633. RAJI YARO

634. RAUFU. ADEBARA

635. RABIU MOHAMMED

636. RARMO CHISO

637. ROBERT A. AMOAH

638.  S.A. JIMOH

639. SAIDU GARBA

640. SAIDU USMAN

641. SALAHU SULE

642. SALISU GARBA

643. SALISU M. ABUBAKAR

644. SALISU P. YUSUF

645. SANI D. YAKUBU

646. SANI GANDU

647. SANI MAIGANA

648. SANI S. LAWAL

649. SANI SHEHU

650 SANI U. ALH. HUKUBU

651. 652. SANI Y. WAKILI

653. SANI Z. JIBRIL

654. SANUSI ABUBAKAR

656. SANUSI G. ISMAIL

657. SANUSI S. RABIU

658. SADIQ A. HAJIYA

659.SADIQ KAMAL

660. SHEIKH A. SHEHU

661. SIDI YUSUF

662. SILAS ABDUL

663. SILVER O. OJUKWU

664. SULEIMAN MAIDAMA

665. SULEIMAN MOHAMMED

668. SULEIMAN YAKUBU

669. SULEIMAN Y. SHAKAU

670. SULEIMAN Y. WAZIR

671. SYLVAIN H. FADISAN

672. T. A. LAWAL

673. T. T. A. ALABI

674. T. B. KILAMI

675. T.A. IDRIS

676. TAIWO K. ADEKUNLE

677. TAIWO O. LAKOMIKIN

678.TAIWO O. OKUNOGBON

679. TAIWO O. ODUSEUN

680. TAIYE A. ADEOLA

681. TAIYE A. AWOSE

682. TEJABO AMAYI

683. TOLU K. TAYLOR

684. VICTOR E. AKINDUTIRE

685. VICTOR I. IBU

686. WALI ABDULLAHI

687. WALI T. SULE

688.WASEM D. CHIBOK

689. YAHYA YUSUF

699.YAHYA Z. SULE

700. YAHYA Z. TANKO

701. YAHYAH ABDULLAHI

702. YAHYAH GARBA

703. YAHYAH Y. GAKKAK

704. YAHYAH Y. LAMBO

705. YOUNG S. S. ALAKE

706. ZAINABU B. LAMBO

707.ZAINABU C. CHIKEYA

708. ZAINABU G. MASHAYI

709. ZAINABU Z. ZAYO

710. ZAKARIYAU T. MALU

711. ZAINABU H. DEDO

712. ZAINABU MOH’D

713. ZULKIFLI ALI

714. SALIHU IBRAHIM GURIN

715: HAJIA RABI BELLO

716. OLUWAFEMI O. ENOCH

717. MRS. SESTY BASHILONY

718. JOSHUA YOHANNA AUDU

719 CALVIN DAVID

720. AUWALU IBRAHIM

721. USMAN MOHAMMED

722. MUSA WALAB

723. DANIEL SAMBO

724. DAVID AMATA HARRY

725. BALA IBRAHIM

726. ABDULKADIRI BABA

727. ABDU N. MAMUDA

728. DENDE POPOOLA

729. USMAN ALIYU

730. UMARU A. DAKACHE

731 JOSEPH T.ADEPE

732. JOHN N. NYAM

733. JOHN JENKELI ALO

734. ANTHONY ODEH

735 J. O. OJO

736. ESTHER S.IYOUGH

737. EMMANUEL OKOH

738. DANIEL AKPAN

739. BARAU R. BALI

740. FRIDAY GABRIEL OGOH

741. UMARU ABDU

742. ADAMU YUSUF

743. SALISU BIU

744. ADO TSAMIYA

745. INUSA HOTORU

746. AUDU IBRAHIM

747. JAMES LOCHE

748. LAWAL USMAN

749. JOSEPH A. IBIWOYE

750. ADAMU JIKA ADABO

751. GANA MUSA DIBAL

752. DANIEL BARAU

753. DANGULDE IBRAHIM

754. WAZIRI YUSUF

755. DAHIRU USMAN

756 HYCINTH A. ULOKO

757. MUSA A. GUSAU

758. MUSTAPHA MOHAMMED

759. ADAMU DANBILLA

760. ABDULLAHI YUSUF

705. YUSUF IBRAHIM

706. DANIEL A. SULE

707. YAMUSA WALI

708. STEPHEN DAWA

709. MUSA ABDU

710. HABIBU AUDU

711. ABSOLLOM DILLI

712. BAKO BULUS

713. I. A. AMANA

714. SALIHU IBRAHIM GURIN

715: HAJIA RABI BELLO

716. OLUWAFEMI O. ENOCH

717. MRS. SESTY BASHILONY

718. JOSHUA YOHANNA AUDU

719 CALVIN DAVID

720. AUWALU IBRAHIM

721. USMAN MOHAMMED

722. MUSA WALAB

723. DANIEL SAMBO

724. DAVID AMATA HARRY

725. BALA IBRAHIM

726. ABDULKADIRI BABA

727. ABDU N. MAMUDA

728. DENDE POPOOLA

729. USMAN ALIYU

730. UMARU A. DAKACHE

731 JOSEPH T.ADEPE

732. JOHN N. NYAM

733. JOHN JENKELI ALO

734. ANTHONY ODEH

735 J. O. OJO

736. ESTHER S.IYOUGH

737. EMMANUEL OKOH

738. DANIEL AKPAN

739. BARAU R. BALI

740. FRIDAY GABRIEL OGOH

741. UMARU ABDU

742. ADAMU YUSUF

743. SALISU BIU

744. ADO TSAMIYA

745. INUSA HOTORU

746. AUDU IBRAHIM

747. JAMES LOCHE

748. LAWAL USMAN

749. JOSEPH A. IBIWOYE

750. ADAMU JIKA ADABO

751. GANA MUSA DIBAL

752. DANIEL BARAU

753. DANGULDE IBRAHIM

754. WAZIRI YUSUF

755. DAHIRU USMAN

756 HYCINTH A. ULOKO

757. MUSA A. GUSAU

758. MUSTAPHA MOHAMMED

759. ADAMU DANBILLA

760. ABDULLAHI YUSUF

746. AUDU IBRAHIM

747. JAMES LOCHE

748. LAWAL USMAN

749. JOSEPH A. IBIWOYE

750. ADAMU JIKA ADABO

751. GANA MUSA DIBAL

752. DANIEL BARAU

753. DANGULDE IBRAHIM

754. WAZIRI YUSUF

755. DAHIRU USMAN

756 HYCINTH A. ULOKO

757. MUSA A. GUSAU

758. MUSTAPHA MOHAMMED

759. ADAMU DANBILLA

760. ABDULLAHI YUSUF

746. AUDU IBRAHIM

747. JAMES LOCHE

748. LAWAL USMAN

749. JOSEPH A. IBIWOYE

750. ADAMU JIKA ADABO

751. GANA MUSA DIBAL

752. DANIEL BARAU

753. DANGULDE IBRAHIM

754. WAZIRI YUSUF

755. DAHIRU USMAN

756 HYCINTH A. ULOKO

757. MUSA A. GUSAU

758. MUSTAPHA MOHAMMED

759. ADAMU DANBILLA

760. ABDULLAHI YUSUF

746. AUDU IBRAHIM

747. JAMES LOCHE

748. LAWAL USMAN

749. JOSEPH A. IBIWOYE

750. ADAMU JIKA ADABO

751. GANA MUSA DIBAL

752. DANIEL BARAU

753. DANGULDE IBRAHIM

754. WAZIRI YUSUF

755. DAHIRU USMAN

756 HYCINTH A. ULOKO

757. MUSA A. GUSAU

758. MUSTAPHA MOHAMMED

759. ADAMU DANBILLA

760. ABDULLAHI YUSUF

746. AUDU IBRAHIM

747. JAMES LOCHE

748. LAWAL USMAN

749. JOSEPH A. IBIWOYE

750. ADAMU JIKA ADABO

751. GANA MUSA DIBAL

752. DANIEL BARAU

753. DANGULDE IBRAHIM

754. WAZIRI YUSUF

755. DAHIRU USMAN

756 HYCINTH A. ULOKO

757. MUSA A. GUSAU

758. MUSTAPHA MOHAMMED

759. ADAMU DANBILLA

760. ABDULLAHI YUSUF

APPELLANTS 

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BANK OF THE NORTH

RESPONDENTS 

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AREA(S) OF LAW

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SUMMARY OF FACTS

The Court of Appeal delivered judgment against the 760 named Appellants. Aggrieved with the decision of the lower court, the Appellants filed a motion, praying the court to set aside its judgment on grounds of want of jurisdiction and fraud but the Court dismissed the motion and entered judgment in favour of the Respondent. Dissatisfied with the ruling of the Court of Appeal, the Appellants appealed separately against the decision of the lower court on its refusal to set aside its decision and the appeals were consolidated in the present appeal.

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HELD

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Appeal Dismissed

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ISSUES

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1. Whether the appellant’s appeal is competent considering the fact that no leave of the lower court nor that of the Supreme Court was obtained in respect of this appeal (Grounds 1 to 9 of the Notice and Grounds of appeal)?

2. Whether the decision of the lower court refusing to set aside its judgment upon the allegations of lack of jurisdiction and fraud can be overturned by this Court as prayed by the appellants (Grounds 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the Notice and Grounds of Appeal)?

3. Whether the Supreme Court can set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal on the basis of the present appeal which is an appeal against the refusal of the Court of Appeal to set aside its own decision when no appeal exists against the substantive decision of the Court of Appeal (Grounds 5 and 9 of the Notice and Grounds of Appeal)?

 

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RATIONES DECIDENDI

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ISSUES FOR DETERMINATION- PURPOSE OF ISSUES FOR DETERMINATION

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“The purpose of issues for determination is to enable the parties narrow the issues in the grounds of appeal filed in the interest of accuracy, clarity and brevity”. See: Ogbuanyiya vs Okudo(No. 2) (1990) 4 NWLR (Part 146) 551”. PER K.B.AKAAHS, J.S.C.

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SETTING ASIDE A JUDGMENT ON GROUNDS OF PROCEDURAL IRREGULARITY – A JUDGMENT CAN BE SET ASIDE ON GROUNDS OF PROCEDURAL IRREGULARITY BY A MOTION OR AN APPLICATION BY THE PARTY AFFECTED

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“Where the steps taken by a court in the course of its proceeding amount to serious procedural irregularity, the mistake or error will render the proceedings a nullity and accordingly its judgment in that respect will be of no legal effect and the inherent power of the court to set aside a judgment that is palpably a nullity could be invoked by a motion or an application by the party affected by the order. See: Ndiewe vs Nwude(1999)11 NWLR (Pt. 626) 315 at 339; Ezeokafor v Ezeilo(1999) 9 (Pt. 619) 513 at 530”.PER K.B.AKAAHS,J.S.C.

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VACATING A JUDGMENT – NATURE OF FRAUD THAT WOULD BE A GROUND FOR VACATING A JUDGMENT

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“In order that fraud may be a ground for vacating the judgment it must be a fraud that is extrinsic or collateral to everything that has been adjudicated upon but not one that has been or must have been deemed to have been dealt with by the Court”. See: Flower vs Lloyd (1879) 10 Ch. D. 327”.PER K. B. AKAAHS, J.S.C.

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FORMULATION OF ISSUES FOR DETERMINATION –PRINCIPLE GOVERNING THE FORMULATION OF ISSUES FOR DETERMINATION

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“The principle which governs the formulation of issues for determination in an appeal has been repeatedly stated by the Court. The grounds of appeal should in no circumstance be less than the issues for determination. Though the Court may tolerate equal number of grounds and issues formulated therefrom a situation where there are less grounds of appeal than issues for determination cannot be tolerated. See Agu v. Ikewibe (1991) 3 NWLR (Pt. 180) 385, A-G Bendel State v. Aideyan(1989) 4 NWLR (Pt. 118) 649, Ugo v. Obiekwe& Anor (1989) 1 NWLR (Pt. 99) 566”. PER N. S. NGWUTA, J.S.C

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SPLITTING OF GROUND OF APPEAL – EFFECT OF SPLITTING A GROUND OF APPEAL

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“This Court has discouraged the practice of splitting a ground of appeal into a number of issues”.See: A – G. Bendel State vs Aideyan(1989) 4 NWLR (Part 118) 646; Adelaja vs Fanoiki(1990) 2 NWLR (Part 131) 137;AguvsIkewibe(1991) 3 NWLR (Part 180) 385. The splitting of a ground into more than one issue renders the issues wider than the grounds of appeal complained of”. See Highgrade Maritime Services Ltd vs First Bank (Nig.) Ltd. (1991) 1 NWLR (Part 167) 290.” PER K.B.AKAAHS, J.S.C.

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CASES CITED

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STATUTES REFERRED TO

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Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999Court of Appeal Rules 1981

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