Court Freezes Firms’ Account in 24 Banks over Alleged N1.37bn Debt

Wale Igbintade

Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Lagos has granted an interim order of Mareva Injunction restraining two firms, Duport Midstream Company Limited, and Platform Capital Investment Partners Limited as well as their Managing Director, Dr. Akintoye Akindele, from accessing N1, 379,400,918 billion, or its equivalent in any currency in 24 banks, pending the hearing and determination of a motion on notice filed by the Union Bank Plc.

The Judge made the order following an application filed and moved by the bank through its counsel, Temilolu Adamolekun, in suit number: FHC/L/CS/1709/2023.

The applicant (Union Bank Plc) had alleged that the defendants were indebted to it to the tune of N1, 379, 400, 918 billion as of June 30, 2023, “(while interest continues to accrue) under the terms of the various facilities granted by it to the first defendant for several purposes as captured on the various offer
letters.”

Granting the ex parte application motion, Justice Aluko held that: “It is hereby ordered as follows: ‘That an interim order of Mareva Injunction restraining the defendants from dealing with any of the monies standing to their credit in all of their accounts, records or howsoever held with the 4th to 27th respondents and also their monies standing to their credit in custody of the plaintiff up to the tune of N1,379,400,918 billion, or its equivalence in any foreign currency pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice is hereby granted.”

The court further restrained the banks from releasing to the defendants any monies, funds or any other instrument belonging to the defendants, to the tune of N1,379,400,918 billion or its equivalence in any foreign currency that may be or found in their custody.

It further granted an order directing the banks “to disclose on oath whatever sum of money that may be in their custody belonging to the defendants for further direction of this court is hereby granted.”

The banks listed as fourth to 27th respondents are Access Bank Plc, Citibank, Ecobank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, First Bank Plc, FCMB, GTBank Plc, Globus, Heritage Plc, Jaiz, Keystone, Lotus, Parallex, Polaris, Providus, Stanbic IBTC, Standard Chartered, Sterling, SunTrust, Titan Trust, United Bank of Nigeria, Unity, Wema and Zenith.

Justice Aluko, therefore, adjourned the matter till September 13, 2023, for hearing of the motion on notice in the suit.