A Federal High Court in Abuja has advised the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, on possible ways of out-of-court settlement in a suit brought against the apex bank over $53 million unpaid legal fee.
An Abuja-based Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Joe Agi, had, on behalf of a team of benefiting lawyers, instituted a legal action against the CBN, the Minister of Finance and Lintas International Limited over their failure to comply with the Garnishee Order of court mandating the payment of $70 million to the beneficiaries.
The total sum of $70 million was the legal fee due to the team of lawyers that secured the Paris Club Refund.
Agi (Plaintiff/Judgment Creditor) had on October 16, 2018, obtained a Garnishee Order Nisi, directing the Central Bank of Nigeria to pay the said sum of $70 million.
However, the CBN governor on November 21, 2018, allegedly ignored the order when he paid only $17 million out of the sum ordered by the court, to the judgment creditor.
Unsatisfied with the development, Agi returned to the court on behalf of his team and on July 5, 2019, he obtained a Garnishee Order absolute against the CBN of which Emefiele is the governor and alter ego.
The court had also on January 23, summoned Emefiele for the second consecutive time to appear before it.
When the matter came up for hearing on January 23, Emefiele was not in court and after Mr. Jephthah Njikonye (SAN), counsel to the judgement creditor (Agi) had told the court that Emefiele was served the judgement summon, yet, he neither appeared in court nor send a representative, prompting the presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo to issue a fresh order summoning the CBN governor to appear and answer to the issues thereto on the next adjourned date.
The court also fixed March 24 for mention.
