N36.8m suit against UBA: Lagos Court adjourns trial to March 7
N36.8m suit against UBA: Lagos Court adjourns trial to March 7
NAN-H-44
Claims
By Dele Eniola
Badagry (Lagos State), Jan. 25, 2017 (NAN) Justice Okikiolu Ighile of Badagry High Court in Lagos State on Wednesday adjourned trial in a N36.8 million claim filed against the United Bank for Africa (UBA) by a
businessman till March 7.
The court had on Dec. 6, 2016 fixed Jan. 25 for the hearing of the case.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a Lagos businessman, Alhaji Lasisi Ayomumoye, had taken UBA
to court, claiming N36.8 million for a breach of deed of a property sub-lease.
At the last hearing, counsel to the claimant, Mr Akinpelu Salau, told the court that the amendment of
statement of defence by (UBA) was filed only on Dec. 5, 2016 and that he needed time to study it
for necessary response.
No counsel represented the bank at the sitting, and Justice Ighile, subsequently adjourned the case to Jan. 25
At the resumed hearing of the case on Wednesday, Salawu, who said he was still studying the amended statement of claims by the defendant, demanded that the trial should go on as scheduled.
But UBA’s lawyer, Mr Tokunbo Ajidelu, pressed for adjournment of the case, although he had submitted the amended statement of defence to the court’s register.
In a statement of claims filed by Salau, the claimant said a deed of sub-lease, which commenced on October 1, 2006, was breached by UBA on his building situated at Plot 15, Aina Layout, Dopemu on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
He said that contrary to the deed of sub-lease, UBA wholly demolished the property and erected a new structure without the claimant’s consent or approval.
In the alternative, the businessman is demanding N24 million as the cost of restructuring the present building
to a multi-purpose building, similar to what the structure was when the deed was signed.
He said that upon the discovery of the breach, the claimant wrote several letters to the bank, requesting for compensation, but the bank ignored him.
The claimant alleged that the bank had in 2008, registered a forged deed of sub-lease, purporting same to be
the one executed by him.
He added that the document fraudulently registered by the bank on the property was fundamentally different from
the one executed by both parties in 2006.
Justice Okikiolu Ighile adjourned the case to March 7 at the instance of the counsel. (NAN)
ENI/DA
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Edited by Dele Akinsola