UBA Slammed With ₦1.07 Billion Payout To Ex-Deputy Governor Achuba By Court

The National Industrial Court in Abuja has directed United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc to pay ₦1.07 billion to former Kogi State Deputy Governor, Simon Achuba, in fulfillment of a long-standing judgment debt owed by the Kogi State Government.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Justice R. B. Haastrup, in a ruling delivered on November 27, made a previous garnishee order nisi absolute after rejecting UBA’s objections concerning the nature of the funds in the targeted account.

UBA had contended that the Kogi State ACRESAL IDA Designated Account, a dollar-denominated account, contained World Bank-supported funds intended for environmental projects across 19 northern states and was therefore untouchable. However, the court found that the bank failed to provide credible evidence to substantiate its claims.

Justice Haastrup emphasized that when a garnishee acknowledges holding funds sufficient to satisfy a judgment, it bears the burden of proving any claimed restrictions. He stated, “The law does not permit depriving a successful litigant of the fruits of his judgment.”

Achuba, represented by human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), had petitioned the court to make the order absolute, citing UBA’s admission of sufficient funds in the Kogi account.

Breakdown of Payments Ordered:

• ₦1,070,860,138 – outstanding judgment debt

• ₦2,000,000 – costs awarded by the Court of Appeal

• ₦1,000,000 – cost of the garnishee proceedings

All amounts are to be transferred directly into Achuba’s Access Bank account. Other banks previously listed as garnishees—including Zenith Bank, First Bank, GTBank, Access Bank, and Polaris Bank—have been discharged.

Justice Haastrup stated: “An order absolute is made directing the 3rd garnishee (UBA Plc) to pay the sum of ₦1,070,860,138 only to the judgment creditor. The 3rd garnishee shall also pay ₦2,000,000 as costs awarded by the Court of Appeal and ₦1,000,000 for the cost of these garnishee proceedings.”

The ruling also sharply criticized Kogi State Government’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), describing his application as malicious and intended to undermine appellate court orders. Justice Haastrup remarked: “I have observed that this was brought malafide, seeking to place this court in collusion with the express orders of the Court of Appeal and Section 243(3) of the Constitution. This conduct is highly unprofessional and does not reflect well on the bar.”

As a result, the court imposed a personal penalty of ₦1 million on Daudu in favor of Achuba. The judgment marks a significant victory in Achuba’s long-running legal battle with the Kogi State Government over his controversial removal from office in 2019.