Innoson alleges take over of GTBank over N8.7bn judgement debt

By Chioma Obinagwam

The Chairman of Innoson Group, Nigeria’s indigenous automobile Company, Dr. Innocent Chukwuma, OFR has through a Writ of FiFa taken over Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTBank) for and on behalf of Innoson Nigeria Ltd as a result of the Bank’s indebtedness to Innoson Nigeria Ltd.
The automobile company disclosed in a statement issued by its Head of Corporate Communications, Cornel Osigwe.

Confiance News gathered from the statement which was tweeted on the company’s Twitter handle, @innosonvehicles, that the takeover was sanctioned by the supreme court of Nigeria.

“In a landmark decision on February 27th 2019, the Supreme Court of Nigeria dismissed GTB’s appeal – SC. 694/2014- against the judgment of Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division,” Innoson Vehicles disclosed in the statement.

The Court of Appeal, Ibadan division had in its decision of 6th February 2014 dismissed GTB’s appeal against the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division. Thus, the Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division which ordered GTB by way of Garnishee order absolute – to pay N2.4 Billion to Innoson with a 22% interest, per annum, on the judgment sum until the final liquidation of the judgment debt.

Rather than obey the judgment of the Court of Appeal, GTB approached the Supreme Court to challenge the Court of Appeal’s decision.

However, in an ruling delivered by Honourable Olabode Rhodes-Vivour JSC on Wednesday, February 27th2019, the Lord Justices of the Supreme Court (JSC) dismissed GTB’s appeal and thus affirmed the concurrent judgment of both the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division which ordered GTB by way of Garnishee order absolute – to pay N2.4 Billion to Innoson with a 22 percent interest, per annum, on the judgment until the final liquidation of the judgment. The Judgment debt of N2.4 billion has an accrued interest as at today of about N6,717,909,849.96 which results to about N8.8 billion.

Based on the Supreme Court’s decision of 27th February 2019 the counsel to Innoson, Prof McCarthy Mbadugha ESQ, had approached the Federal High Court, Awka Division for leave to enforce the judgment having obtained Certificates of Judgment from the Ibadan Division of the Federal High Court.

Having obtained the requisite leave, the Federal High Court issued the necessary process for levying execution – the Writ of Fifa.