Alleged N5.8 Billion Debt: Court Grants Order Freezing Stallionaire, Deji Somoye’s Bank Accounts
The Federal High Court in Lagos has issued Interim Orders for Mareva Injunction in Suit FHC/L/CS/509/2024 involving Union Bank Of Nigeria Plc and three defendants.
The defendants mentioned in the case are Stallionaire Nigeria Limited, Mr Deji Matthew Somoye, and Supreme Shipping and Marine Services Limited.
The dispute, presided over by Justice Ibrahim Ahmad Kala, prompted the Court to temporarily freeze the Defendants’ accounts up to N5,858,692,168.58 billion to safeguard the respondents. The respondents listed also include commercial banks and FinTechs.
The plaintiff/applicant, represented by lawyers T. Adamolekun, G. Akinde-Peters, and Boluwatife Oloyede, submitted a motion ex-parte application supported by an affidavit sworn by Segun Omoshola, seeking several reliefs.
Their application requested various reliefs, including an order to amend the Interim Order for Mareva Injunction issued by the Court on March 25, 2024, to lift Orders (1), (2), (3), and (4), primarily attaching the Defendants’ Vessels and to remove the names of the 4th to 8th respondents. Counsel argued before the Court that the application was filed to avoid the Court issuing an Order in vain.
Upon considering the submissions made by counsel, the court has issued an Interim Order of Mareva Injunction. This order freezes the Defendants’ accounts, including the 2nd Defendant’s bank verification details held with the 4th to 31st Respondents, restraining all monies up to the sum of N5,858,692,168.58 or its equivalent value in any foreign currency, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice dated and filed on the 20/5/2024.
Furthermore, an Interim Order of Mareva Injunction has been granted, restraining the 9th to 31st Respondents from releasing any monies or funds to the Defendants, including those standing to the credit of the Defendants and in any other bank account(s) linked to and/or connected with the 2nd Defendant’s bank details in the custody or possession of the 4th to 31st Respondents.
This is also pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice dated and filed on 20/5/2024.
Additionally, the court has directed the 4th to 31st Respondents to disclose, by filing an Affidavit on Oath in this Honourable Court, the total sum of monies or funds standing to the credits of the Defendants and in any other bank account(s) linked to and connected with the 2nd Defendant’s bank details within seven (7) days upon service of this Order.
“An order of this Honourable Court that any other part of the Order of 25th of March 2024 not specifically altered or varied or affected by prayers 1 and 2 above shall remain and subsist as they are in the order of 25th March 2024.”
Upon carefully reviewing the motion ex-parte and the Sworn Affidavit, and after attentively listening to the counsel for the Plaintiff/Applicant advocating for its approval, Justice Kala concluded that “It is hereby ordered as follows: Order as prayed as per prayers 1 and 2 of the application pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed on 20/5/2024.
“An Order discharging order (1), (2), (3), and (4) principally attaching the Defendants’ Vessels i.e. MT ADEBOMI 1, Oil Tanker with Official No: 377872.”
