The Nigerian government has filed a suit against three tobacco companies, seeking 5.3 trillion naira (US$ 42 billion) in damages for public health costs for treating smoking-related diseases, court papers show.

The suit filed against British American Tobacco, Philip Morris International and International Tobacco, a Nigerian company, accuses them of concealing the harmful nature of smoking and of promoting underage smoking.
It follows similar legal actions by three Nigerian state governments which filed for US$ 38.6 billion in damages in May. "This is the first time that an African state files a case against a tobacco company," said Babatunde Irukera, the lawyer representing the government, to AFP news.
The suit has been filed at a Federal High Court in the capital Abuja, which has fixed a first hearing for 14 January 2008. The damages sought are a larger sum than Nigeria's annual federal budget. (pi)