Four banks in Owerri, the Imo State capital, have been sealed over their failures to honour the order of the court against Governor Rochas Okorocha.
The court order which was against Okorocha, had favoured a former governor of the state, Ikedi Ohakim.
The court order followed Ohakim’s suit before the National Industrial Court in Owerri challenging Governor Okorocha’s refusal to pay him his entitlements as a former governor of the state.
However, the four banks: Diamond Bank on Item Street, First Bank PLC on Bank Road, United Bank for Africa on Mbari Street and Union Bank on Bank Road, which were sealed Wednesday morning, failed to honour the order of the court in respect to the matter.
Consequently, a notice of attachment from the court dated November 6, 2018, and pasted in front of the banks, indicated that the affected banks refused to honour a garnishee order issued by the court against the banks.
An order for execution issued by Justice O.O. Arowosegbe, which was on display on the banks read: “An order granting leave to issue writ of execution of the order of this honourable court made in this suit on February 23, 2018, against, second, third, sixth and seventh garnishees, that is Diamond Bank, First Bank, United Bank for Africa and Union Bank PLC, respectively.”
Also, a document of a court judgment on display at one of the banks stated that the court had ordered the affected banks to pay the plaintiff his claims from Imo State Government accounts domiciled with the banks, but they failed to do so.
The court order dated February 23, 2018, read in part, “Order absolute is made against the fifth garnishee (Skye Bank) to the tune of N112,000,000.00 (N112m).
“Order absolute to the tune of forty-four million, seven hundred and ninety thousand, eight hundred and thirty-one Naira, thirty-four kobo (N44,790,831.34), is made against the sixth garnishee (UBA), less the minimum amount required to maintain the account.
“Order absolute is made against the seventh garnishee (Union Bank ) to the total N8,824,240.72, less the minimum amount required to maintain the account.
“The fourth garnishee is accordingly discharged.
“In all, the degree absolute has been made on a cumulative total of N290,068,717.57. The total sum is to be paid over to this court vide the Chief Registrar, National Industrial Court of Nigeria within 14 days next.”
