…Says Polaris bank denies him access to N1.77bn
Business Day
A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Otunba Segun Adewale has accused Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) of illegally sending policemen to seal his business premises and properties over an alleged debt to Polaris Bank.
Adewale is the owner of Aeroland Travels Limited located in the heart of Ikeja, Lagos and also an aspirant for Lagos West Senatorial District in 2023.
He made the accusation in a statement while reacting to the sealing of his office by the policemen allegedly sent by AMCON.
The PDP Chieftain said he was surprised to see police officers invading the premises of his air travel agency located on John Olugbo Street, Ikeja, Lagos, on Friday, ordering him and his workers out over an allegation that he was owing Polaris Bank some money.
He claimed that Polaris Bank had refused to grant him access to his N1.77bn in the bank shortly after the 2015 Lagos West Senatorial Election.
Adewale claimed that he took the bank to court in 2018 over his seized money and that neither the officials of the bank nor its lawyers appeared in court, only for them to accuse him of owing them and got an ex parte order to seal his property.
Adewale insisted that if he actually owes the bank, he had the right to know what he is owing and when he took the money, adding that he ought to be allowed to argue his case.
“We will approach the court and the judge will see to the matter. They swore an oath and lied, when they ought to pay me my money,” he said.
“Polaris Bank has been using all forms of tricks to surcharge me and by extension pilfering my money. The former Managing Director of the bank, Tokunbo Abiru is now a serving senator under the platform of the APC.
“I have gone back to my lawyer and he told me that it is illegal for them to lock my office.
“He said that what they did is wrong, that they could not take the case to another judge since it is before a judge already, and that it is an aberration to the court process.”
According to him, once a case is in a court of competent jurisdiction, they cannot go to another court to get exparte order, which he said is what has now happened.
“We have not argued any case, you have not called me to any meeting, you just took over my office. It’s an injustice.
“I’m going to petition the Managing Director and lawyers of the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) for what they have done. Apart from that, I’m going to sue them for a billion naira for disrupting my business.
“Some years back, the Lagos State Government said I was owing them N180 million for Land Use Charge, they came here, locked my office and brought black Maria and arrested all my staff.
“I went there and they discovered that I was not owing them any money.
“The one that is more painful now is that this current matter is in a high court since 2018 and you did not show up only for you to lock my office on account of one Jakanra exparte order,this is not fair and it is nothing but an attempt to scuttle my bright chances at the polls.
“We will approach the court and the judge will see to the matter. They swore an oath and lied, when they ought to pay me my money,” he said.
According to Adewale, “If this is not witch hunting or sheer wickedness, why didn’t they just serve me a court summon, giving me the opportunity to explain myself and if the judge feels that I am defaulting, he can then give a verdict rather than going on all pages of newspapers and start castigating, destroying my name.
“Why going to get an exparte motion behind me and not giving me an opportunity to show my records to the court?
“They rather spring to action without a court verdict but an exparte motion that will expire in two weeks time, leaving me no chance for fair hearing.
“I insist I am not owing Polaris a dime and if like they claimed I am owing, it is not enough for them to go to get an exparte motion, they should show the press where the money was disbursed into my account, stating the account details of the recipient of the alleged money.” Adewale said.
AMCON had said recently that it took over assets belonging to Aeroland Travels Limited, and its directors over indebtedness of N1.8bn.
The agency said it acted based on the ruling by Justice Osiagor on February 7, 2022, and in compliance with the enforcement order of the court.
It added that it put logistics together, and on Friday, May 6, 2022, took effective possession of the nine properties as listed by the court through its debt recovery agent – Robert Ohuoba & Co.
The seized properties include those situated at Plot 4 & 4B Block 66 Magodo Scheme, Lagos State; Plot 9, Block 44c, Adetoro Adelaja Street, Magodo Lagos; No. 4C Maye Ogundana Street, Magodo Lagos; No. 10 Oluyomi Oshinkoya Street, Magodo Residential Scheme, Lagos; Plot 8, Block 66, Residential Scheme, Sangisha, Lagos; No. 2A John Olugbo Street, Ikeja, Lagos; No. 2 Fadeyi Street, off Awolowo way, Ikeja, Lagos; No. 8 Surulere Alelor Street, Millenium, Gbagada; and No. 14 Jerry Iriabe Street, off Bashorun Okunsanya, off Admiralty Road, Lekki Penisula.