Mrs. Offor who is the branch manager of the bank at Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, was sued by an automobile expert, Mr. Ogunmuyiwa Sanni through his counsel, Gideon Okebu of GM George-Taylor & Co.
Joined as co-defendants in the suit marked MCL/345/2020, are: Stanbic IBTC Bank, a police officer, Mr. Winko Festus and one other.
Sanni in his statement of claims narrated how he was engaged by the bank manager, Mrs. Offor in January, 2019, to repair her car but she breached their agreement between them, by failing to pay him charges for services.
Sanni averred that in his attempt to collect money for the service rendered to the defendant (Offor), he was arrested at the bank premises on the instruction of the bank manager, who accused him of kidnapping and threat to life.
Consequently, Sanni prays the court for an order that the refusal of the defendants to pay him for the repairs effected on the bank manager’s car, despite several demands, constituted a breach of contract.
He also asked the court for an order that Offor, the bank and Festus are jointly and severally liable for false imprisonment, to wit; making a spurious and false complaint to the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) which culminated in the restrain of Sanni at bank’s premises in Awolowo Road, Ikoyi for hours before being further detained at NPF Headquarters, Kam-Salem, Obalende.
The claimant also asked the court for an order directing all the defendants to pay him the sum of N2.5 million for the wrongful/false imprisonment of the claimant, upon a fabricated complaint.
Responding to the suit, Stanbic IBTC exonerated itself of any wrongdoings, stating that the case is between its official and the claimant, while Offor denied all the claimant’s averments
The case has been fixed for hearing on March 24, 2020.
And an order directing them to publish formal letters of apology in two national newspapers and an order directing the defendants to pay the cost of the suit.