CourtJustice Daniel Emeka Osiagor of a Federal High Court, Lagos has fixed 18th May for hearing of all pending applications in the suit filed by Access Bank Plc against the Administrator of the Estate of late business mogul, Chief Sonny Odogwu and other companies over alleged N50 billion debt.
The trial judge fixed the date after Access Bank Plc’s counsel, Mr Oluwakemi Balogun (SAN) informed the court that he was just being served with a counter affidavit to his client’s Originating Summon and Mareva Injunction by the counsel to the First Respondent in the suit.
Counsel to the First Respondent, Mr E. Akpan, admitted serving Access Bank Plc’s counsel with the said counter-affidavits but pleaded with the court that the situation that caused such was beyond his ability.
Access Bank Plc’s counsel, Balogun (SAN) thereafter asked for the leave of the court to file a further affidavit and reply on point of law in response to the counter affidavit. This was not objected to.
However, Mr Anthony Idigbe (SAN), counsel to the Second and Third Defendants in the suit, told the court that he was not objecting to the Motion on Notice but objecting to the written address in respect of his client’s Notice of Preliminary Objection.
Following the brief arguments of counsel, Justice Daniel Osiagor adjourned the matter till 18th May, for hearing of all applications in the suit.
Access Bank had instituted the suit, to take over the late businessman’s project finance property over alleged unpaid N50 billion debt.
Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN) had also filed Preliminary Objection to the suit.
The Administrator, Kenneth (Kenny) Odogwu, alongside late Odogwu’s companies, Robert Dyson & Diket Limited and SIO Properties Limited, and The Registrar of Title, Federal Land Registry are the respondents in the suit.
The plaintiff, Access Bank, Siete Trading Limited have dragged the respondents before the court in a suit filed by its counsel Mr Kemi Balogun (SAN):and marked FHC/L/CS/1955/2021, for an alleged N50 billion debt.
The respondents/applicants in the Motion on Notice filed before the court are asking for an order dismissing Access Bank’s case or in the alternative striking out the suit for want of jurisdiction.
The respondents/applicants said their objection to the suit was due to abuse of the court process and that the plaintiffs lacked the locus standi to institute the instant suit.