Nigeria, March 20 -- The United States District Court for the District of Columbia has granted a motion to dismiss an attempt by a Nigerian businessman to enforce a $159 million payment agreement against the Federal Republic of Nigeria with regard to the Paris Club refund.

In a copy of the judgment, delivered on 12 March and seen by PREMIUM TIMES, Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, the presiding judge, noted that the court, like two other district courts before it, lacks subject matter jurisdiction over the claims by Ted Iseghohi Edwards and his assignees.

The judge, therefore, granted the motion to dismiss the claims, as requested by the defendants - Nigeria and various Nigerian governmental entities.

The agreement pertained to the 10 per cent l...