28th January, 2011
Twenty-six traders at Ajeniya Market has commenced committal to prison proceedings against the Managing Director of Union Bank of Nigeria, Mrs. Olufunke Osibodu, and one of the senior legal manager, Mrs. Nneka Ojioko, for disobeying the order of a Lagos High Court.
Meanwhile, the counsel for the traders Mr. Femi Olufokunbi has petitioned the Commissioner of Police Special Fraud Unit, Milverton, Ikoyi, complaining of issuance of dud cheque by Union Bank and the two signatories to the said cheque.
In an affidavit attached to the motion for contempt sworn to by one of the traders, Onyeka Dike Silvanus and filed before a Lagos High Court, the deponent averred that he is one of the traders whose stall and goods were vandalized in 1999, causing damages and loss in respect of which they got jugement in the sum of N16,332,350 against Union Bank on 13 May, 2010 after eleven years of protracted and delayed litigation.
Mr. Onyeka further averred that on 24 November, 2010 their counsel, Mr. Femi Olufokunbi, and the court’s team of bailiffs and policemen led by Sherrys Adebola levied execution of the judgement by attachment and seizure of the goods of the bank.
However, the bank later dishonoured the cheque it issued and signed by two of their signatories. It is therefore responsible for the contemptuous refusal to release and pay the proceeds of the judgement debt draft.
Thereafter all efforts made by the judgement creditor to reap the fruit of their judgement prove abortive.