Plateau Court Orders Seizure, Sale Of CBN Vehicle Over N12m Judgement Debt

A Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos, the state capital, has ordered the seizure of a property belonging to the Jos branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The seizure notice, signed by the registrar, specified the property seized as an Innoson IVM Double Cabin vehicle with registration number KUJ696DD and chassis number LTA12H2P4P9103551.

This action stemmed from a suit between John Eche Okpe, Esq and the CBN. The order was made by Honourable Justice N.D. Shaseet, and the seizure notice was made available to newsmen on Saturday in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

In the said case with the number PLD/J397/m/2023, John Eche Okpe, Esq, a Legal Practitioner in Jos, obtained a judgment against the Federal Government of Nigeria and some of its agencies. He sought to enforce the judgment via garnishee proceedings against the CBN.

The garnishee order nisi amounted to N10 million, as made absolute by His Lordship, Honourable Justice N.D. Shaseet of the Plateau State High Court of Justice on November 1, 2023.

Since the order became absolute, the Central Bank of Nigeria has not complied, leading to the necessity of property seizure.

The total amount for which the writ has been issued is now N12,206,900, inclusive of legal fees and expenses. The property will be sold within five days, starting from December 22, 2023.

“Take notice that a writ has been issued for the attachment and sale of property in execution of the judgement/order obtained against you in this matter. The attached property is hereby prohibited from being sold or any right, title, or interest therein transferred.

“If you pay the total amount stated to the bailiff within an hour after the service of this notice, you will incur no further fees or expenses. Thereafter, you may be liable to pay the Sheriff a daily fee for keeping possession of the property, and any responsible expenses, such as feeding animals, until the amount levied is paid or the property is sold.

“If at any time before the sale of the property you pay the amount levied and any incurred fees and expenses, this execution will be stopped, and any unpaid amount will be deducted from the proceeds of the sale,” the notice partly read.

The judge issued a warrant of arrest against the state Controller of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Jonah Akama, last week for disobedience to a court order in the same suit.

The arrest warrant, issued to newsmen in Jos and signed by Honourable Justice N.D. Shaseet, directed any police officer who encounters Mr. Akama to arrest him.

This action followed Akama’s failure to appear before the court regarding the case with John Eche Okpe, Esq.