Posted by tidenews on
A senior Nigerian Army officer has taken the First Bank Plc to court for seizing his money on allegation of being a terrorist suspect.....
A senior Nigerian Army officer has taken the First Bank Plc to court for seizing his money on allegation of being a terrorist suspect.
At the resumed hearing of the matter at the Calabar High Court on Friday, Justice Ignatius Agube, adjourned the case to August 1, 2006 for continuation and for one of the witnesses, Staff Sgt. Ubi Arikpo to testify.
The officer, Lt.-Col. Roy Ali, 13 Brigade Headquarters, Ca1abar, also joined in the suit Western Union Money Transfer Service and Vanguard Media Ltd as defendants.
In a 32-paragraph statement of claim, Ali, through his counsel, Mr Joe Agi, prayed the court to direct the first and second defendants to jointly and severally refund the money unlawfully seized.
He also urged the court to order them to pay him N2 billion for breach of contract and defamation of character.
Ali told the court that the Vanguard newspaper of September 26, 2004 also defamed his character by publishing an article 'You are a Terrorist" with details of his transaction with the first and second defendants on allegation of terrorism.
Ali also said under cross examination by counsel for first and second defendants, Mr Alex Umoh, that on April 26, 2004 he directed his chief clerk, Staff Sgt. Ubi Arikpo (now retired) to send Nl0,000 to one Sgt. Adamu Salihu, Zaria depot.
He said the transaction was done through Western Union Transfer, Calabar branch of First Bank Nigeria PIc, explaining that Salihu had till date not received the money sent.
Agube said that First Bank had directed him to produce his birth certificate or sworn, affidavit showing place of birth, date and country, as well as a photocopy of his Nigerian Army identity card to be taken to the U.S. to facilitate the reinstatement of his 2004 transaction with Western Union.
Ali said he refused to comply to such directive because such would have only been possible if he was the recipient of the money, if it was routed through diplomatic means and not border on security reasons.