Nigeria to summons tobacco firm in Swiss newspaper

ABUJA, March 17 (Reuters) - Prosecutors in Nigeria said on Monday they would publish a summons in a Swiss newspaper against Philip Morris International, one of three tobacco companies involved in a $44 billion lawsuit.

Nigeria is seeking the sum, much larger than its annual budget, in damages for public health costs for treating smoking-related diseases.

The prosecution has said Philip Morris International, a unit of Altria Group Inc (MO.N: Quote, Profile, Research), had rejected court papers sent by courier on three occasions. State lawyers had asked that they be allowed to serve the firm by other means.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday gave prosecutors approval to publish a summons in one newspaper in Switzerland. Philip Morris International is based in Lausanne.

"We intend to do that within the next one week ... we have a list of publications in Switzerland but we have not decided on any yet," government lawyer Babatunde Irukera told Reuters after the court session.

There was no immediate comment from Philip Morris.

Judge Binta Murtala-Nyako adjourned the case, which has stalled for months, to May 19.

The case was inspired by U.S. state lawsuits in the 1990s that led to multibillion-dollar settlements by the tobacco industry.

The defendants also include the world's second biggest cigarette maker, British American Tobacco BAT.L, and Nigerian firm International Tobacco Ltd. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: africa.reuters.com/) (Reporting by Camillus Eboh, writing by Tume Ahemba, editing by Nick Tattersall and Keith Weir)