Court remands ex-banker for debiting customers account of N734 million
Declines jurisdiction in suit against Lagos taxi operators
ALAGOS High Court sitting in Ikeja has remanded in prison custody a former employee of Coronation Merchant Bank, Nsa Ayi, for allegedly fraudulently debiting customers account to the tune of N733,906, 951.
The trial judge, Justice Mojisola Dada of Special Offences Court, ordered Ayi to be remanded in Ikoyi prison following his arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The EFCC counsel, Nnemeka Omewa, told the court at the resumed hearing that the suspect on various dates between January 2014 and January 2017 fraudulently debited people’s account using instruction purported to be issued by them.
However, Ayi was arraigned on 10 count charges and pleaded not guilty to all the count.
Meanwhile, Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday declined jurisdiction to entertain a suit filed against the Incorporated Trustees of the Lagos State Taxi Drivers and Cabs Operators Association (LASTDCOA) by some commercial taxi drivers in Lagos.
Ruling in a suit filed by Arogundade Adekunle, Kolawole Afolabi and Taofeek Oladokun on behalf of themselves and other commercial taxi drivers, the judge said the subject matter falls within the jurisdiction of Lagos State High Court.
His words: “I decline jurisdiction on this matter. This court do not have jurisdiction to entertain the claimants’ suit.” He therefore directed that the suit should be transferred to the Lagos High Court.
Respondents in the suit include Lagos State Chief Vehi- cle Inspection Officer, Attorney-general of Lagos State, Commissioner of Police Lagos State, and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
The commercial taxi drivers through their counsel, Marcus Eyarhono, had approached the court seeking a declaration that the name of the first defendant, Incorporated Trustees of Lagos State Taxi Drivers and Cabs Operators Association, is a private body and is not an arm or an agent of the Lagos State government, or any of its Ministry, Agencies and Department, and that its membership, resolution, decision/and or activities cannot bind them.
The applicants also sought a declaration of the court that having satisfied the official requirements for operating as commercial taxies drivers in Lagos State, they are enti- tled to carry on business in the state without any hindrance or arrest by officers of the second to fourth defendants.
But the defendants through their counsel, Oluwafunmilayo Jimoh, urged the court to dismiss the claimants’ suit for being vexatious, frivolous and abuse of court process.
The defendants stated that they resolved that the claimants should either identity itself with any of 11 state government recognized taxi operators or apply to the Ministry of Transportation franchise as an entity.
And that the Ministry of Transportation should ensure that the process required to operate taxi legally is made less cumbersome for the claimants, because its members are long serving elderly people who have no other means of survival.