A Lagos high court has ordered Access Bank to pay the sum of N5 million to its customers, Blaid Construction Limited and Blaid Properties, for breach of bank-customer relationship.

The court also declared that a post-no-debit alert action by the bank and continued denial of the customers’ rights to access and operate their accounts since 2015 were unlawful, illegal and void except within the periods between July and September, 2016.

In a judgement dated August 13, Justice I.O Harrison of the Lagos high court noted that the judgement was delivered outside of the 90-day period prescribed by the 1999 constitution due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She added, however, that the court is well aware of the facts of the case and submission of the counsels.

Details of the judgement, obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, showed that the suit was instituted against the defendant, Access Bank, in May 2017.

The claimants’ statement of claim include a declaration that the post no debit alert and continued denial of the claimants’ right to access or operate their bank accounts is illegal and unlawful; an order directing the defendant to immediately remove and take down the post no debit alert placed on the account; N500 million damages for breach of bank-customer relationship; and costs of the actions.

The court said the defendant filed its defence submission in June 2016 while the claimants filed a series of documents, including cheques, solicitors’ letters, among others.

Details showed that the defendant opened its case on October 22, 2019, by calling its sole witness, Olugbenga Kutemi, the zonal head business banking division of the bank. He adopted his statement on oath dated June 11th, 2019 and tendered two documents out of the six documents mentioned.

The court said that the post-no-debit alert placed on the claimants’ accounts was removed by the bank in December 2017.

Source https://www.premiumtimesng.com/business/business-interviews/412843-court-orders-access-bank-to-pay-n5m-to-customer-declares-pnd-order-illegal.html

Nice... Justice served but she would have spent more for law suit . Lalasticlala