An FCT High Court has ordered Globus Bank to pay a total of N256 million to Abuja-based Haril Global Solutions Ltd over breach of contract and wrongful deductions from the company’s accounts.
Justice Christopher Oba of the Federal Capital Territory High Court delivered the judgment in suit number FCT/HC/CV/1456/2026, filed by Haril Global Solutions Ltd against the bank.
The claimant had accused the bank of breaching a contractual agreement tied to an overdraft facility and making unlawful deductions running into millions of naira from its accounts.
In the suit, Haril Global Solutions Ltd was listed as claimant, while Globus Bank was the defendant and counter-claimant. Other parties named in the counter-claim included Chinedu Mba, Idris Olayiwola, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Justice Oba held that there was a valid and subsisting contract between both parties based on the letter of offer dated July 4, 2023, and the overdraft facility agreement executed on the same date.
The court declared that the bank wrongfully withdrew N109 million from the claimant’s debt service reserve account and transferred the funds into its overdraft account on December 29, 2023, contrary to the terms of the agreement.
The judge subsequently ordered the bank to refund the N109 million to the claimant.
The court also directed the bank to return N26.07 million deducted as interest from the claimant’s account on January 31, 2024, despite a post-no-debit restriction placed on the account, which allegedly prevented the company from conducting business operations.
In addition, the court ordered the refund of another N15 million withdrawn on February 6, 2024, as interest charges under similar circumstances.
Justice Oba further awarded N5 million as general damages for breach of contract and N1 million as cost of the suit against the bank.
The court held that the defendant breached the accepted overdraft facility agreement and declared that the contract had been discharged due to the bank’s actions.
Meanwhile, the court dismissed the counterclaim filed by Globus Bank, ruling that the bank failed to provide credible evidence to support allegations of fraud and unlawful interference against Haril Global Solutions Ltd.
The bank had alleged that the claimant manipulated its system by debiting other merchants to credit its own account.
However, the court ruled that no evidence was presented to identify any affected merchants or establish the alleged fraud.
Justice Oba also noted that a police investigation report tendered by the bank did not indict the claimant and contained figures inconsistent with the N2.5 billion sought in the counterclaim.
According to the court, the police report was merely investigative and not a judicial pronouncement capable of proving fraud.
The judge concluded that the bank failed to discharge the legal and evidential burden required by law and dismissed the counter-claim in its entirety for lacking
