In Aro v. Fabolude (1983) 2 SC 75 per Aniagolu, J.S.C. (as he then was) laid down the ingredients of the plea of res-judicata in these words – “In civil cases, before the principle is applied, the res (the subject matter) in contention must be the same; the issue and the parties the same in the new case as in the earlier proceedings. Where any of the three matters is missing in the new case a plea of res-judicata will ordinarily fail (See Odua v. Nwanze (1934) 2 WACA 98 at 100 – 102.)”
MATTER ALREADY ADJUDICATED UPON IS RES JUDICATA
Para. 19: “The doctrine of res judicata simply states that once a matter/cause has been finally determined, it is not open to either party to re-open or re-litigate that same matter. A matter is said to be res judicata if it has already been adjudicated upon by a competent Court. This prevents it from being pursued further by the same parties. Res judicata precludes the continued litigation of same issues between the same parties. The matter cannot be raised again either in the same Court or in a different Court. In other words, for a plea of res judicata to be sustained, both the subject matter and parties must be the same.”
— Osaghae v Nigeria (2017) – ECW/CCJ/JUD/03/17