The Abuja Federal High Court refused to grant a request by ECOBANK Nigeria Limited to prevent the federal government from compelling the bank to repay N800 million arising from losses suffered due to multiple payments made to beneficiaries of the Amnesty Program.
Judge Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling on Wednesday, ordered Isaac Oguche, a lawyer who appeared for the commercial bank, to notify the defendants within seven days of the order.
Mr. Ekwo also ordered Mr. Oguche to notify all defendants in the lawsuit that they filed the lawsuits and adjourned the matter until May 31 for the bank to show cause.
News Agency Nigeria (NAN) reports that the federal government has established a Niger Delta Amnesty Program for the disarmament, demobilization and rehabilitation or reintegration of militants and development in the oil-producing region.
The key component of the program was the payment of monthly stipends to qualified beneficiaries through their accounts held at various banks in Nigeria.
ECOBANK, in an ex parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/469/2023, sued the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the National Security Advisor (NSA) and the Federal Government through the Delta Amnesty Program from Niger as 1st to 3rd respondents respectively.
In the motion dated April 5, the bank’s attorney, Anthony Idigbe, sought an injunction order preventing the defendants or accomplices from arresting its directors, staff, or agents or taking steps to disrupt its business without following due process. pending the hearing and determination of the original movement.
It also sought an injunction order that would prohibit the defendants, either by themselves or by agents, from taking further steps “to further harass the applicant, directors, and staff.”
In the affidavit in support of the motion filed by Oladipupo Raji, Head of Regional Operations of the bank at FCT, he stated that from the start of the program until January 2023, there have been no accusations against ECOBANK for fraud in relation to the monies paid . to their clients for the Niger Delta Amnesty Program.
He said that on January 19, commercial banks, including ECOBANK, were called to a meeting by the President’s National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, regarding the Amnesty Program.
“That the NSA at the meeting I attended informed the bank representatives that some of the beneficiaries of the Amnesty Scheme have been receiving double payments from the Federal Government of Nigeria by opening multiple accounts at various banks and that the third defendant also has been to pay funds to unknown persons.
“That, thereafter, the NSA sought the support of the banks in meeting the challenges of sanitizing the system and ensuring that leaks are blocked,” Raji said.
He said, to his surprise, that the Permanent Secretary, Aliyu Mohammed, informed all the banks that the federal government had allegedly lost the sum of 13 billion naira through leaks and then emphatically stated that the sum of 849,408,000 naira must be repaid by ECOBANK within two weeks.
“That the banks, shocked by the lawsuit and the threat of arrest, requested time to audit their books to verify the claims of multiple payments in accordance with the payment instructions given by the third defendant,” it said.
Raji said that ECOBANK was not involved in processing payments, approving payments or verifying the list of beneficiaries of the scheme.
The official, who refuted the allegations in the letter from the Niger Delta Amnesty Program lawyers dated February 23, denied responsibility for the payment of the sum of N319.8 million.
He insisted that the bank did not engage in any fraudulent activity in connection with the funds paid to its customers either before or after the account was opened.
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According to him, the applicant (ECOBANK) is not appointed as a financial adviser in the amnesty payment program and has no responsibility to verify payments to program beneficiaries under any contract.
The bank is not aware of the criteria used in the election/selection of the beneficiaries of the Amnesty stipends.
Mr. Raji, who urged the court to grant his relief, said the motion was filed in the interest of justice.(YAYA)