Justice C. J. Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos has suspended hearing in the suit filed by Western Lotto Limited, belonging to Senator Buruji Kashamu, to challenge alleged infringement on his trademark by 23 rival lottery firms.

Among the 23 rival lottery firms sued is Premier Lotto Limited, popularly known as Baba Ijebu Gaming Limited, belonging to Chief Keshington Adebutu.

Joined as the first and second defendants in the suit are the National Lottery Regulation Commission; and the Registrar of Trademarks, respectively.

Western Lotto Limited and the NLRC had executed a Terms of Settlement dated July 10, 2020, which they were urging the court to adopt as the final decision in the case.

But the rival lottery firms had kicked against the adoption of the terms of settlement by the court.

At the Thursday hearing, Justice Aneke suspended hearing in the case to await the outcome of an appeal filed by one of the defendants.

Some protesters had on Monday stormed the court to accuse the judge of being biased in his handling of the case.

In a statement on Monday by its Managing Director, Dr Olumide Adedeji, Western Lotto Limited claimed that the protesters were sponsored by “Adebutu and Golden Chance Lotto’s Idowu Obasa,” as a form of “cheap blackmail and mudslinging.”

In the suit, Western Lotto Limited accused the rival lotto firms of infringing on its proprietary right to “Ghana games”.