N36bn suit: UBA wins at High Court

It is one up for Nigeria’s leading commercial bank, the United Bank for Africa (UBA as a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere on Tuesday dismissed a suit filed it by a businessman.

The complainant, Alhaji Azeez Ayomumoye, was caseeking N36.8 million from the case for alleged breach of contract.

Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile held that the facts did not support Ayomumoye’s claims.

The businessman sued UBA in 2009, claiming that the bank demolished his property without his consent, contrary to a property lease agreement.

In the alternative, the landlord demanded N24million as cost of restructuring the present building to a multi-purpose structure similar to the “corporate style” of the bank.

In her verdict, Justice Okikiolu-Ighile held that the court “will not attach any weight to exhibit CWN ( the Deed of Sub-lease) which is the pillar of support for the claimant’s argument, because facts already established does not support the claimant’s claims.”

“I believe the defendant’s argument that the claimant was aware at the time the building was altered and did supply goods in form of building materials to the defendant.

“I cannot therefore believe the claimant not being aware of the alteration.

“By this act, the claimant had knowledge, therefore consented, and I wonder why it took the claimant two years before complaining, which I consider as an afterthought.

“The claimant’s claims therefore fails.”

The judge also ordered the claimant to pay the defendant N100,000 as cost of the suit.