December 8, 2014 – A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered 19 banks to freeze accounts of Lagos businessman and former publisher of the defunct Post Express Newspapers, Chief Sunny Odogwu.
Diamond Bank Plc., had approached the court for a temporary injunction to freeze asset belonging to the businessman following his refusal to pay debt amounting to N26.229,943,035.22.
The trial judge, Justice Saliu Seidu granted the bank’s request and ordered the banks not to honour any financial request from Chief Sunny Odogwu, and his two companies: Robert Dyson & Diet Limited, and SIO Properties Limited.
The bank also sought an order restraining Odogwu and his two companies, their agents, privies, or assigns from disposing, selling, transferring, and or alienating any of its movable or immovable asset, money, share, stock and other negotiable instrument pending the determination of the substantive suit.
In a sworn affidavit, the bank averred that sometimes in 2007, SIO Properties Limited, and Chief Odogwu, on behalf of Robert Dyson & Diket Limited company, approached the bank and requested huge sum to be applied and disbursed as at when due for their project called ‘Luxury Collection Hotels and Apartments’, formerly Le Meridian Grand Tower, to be constructed at 31-35, Ikoyi Crescent, Ikoyi, Lagos, in the name of SOI Properties Limited of which Chief Sonny Odogwu is the chairman and major owner.
The bank is also asking for an order granting leave to foreclose and sell the said property situated at 31-35 Ikoyi Crescent, Ikoyi, Lagos. The case has been adjourned till December 12 for hearing.
