Court hears suit challenging takeover of WhitePlains School today

A vacation judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed today for hearing on the suit challenging alleged moves by First Bank Plc to take over WhitePlains British School Limited.
 
The Judge gave the date last Friday after listening to arguments by counsel representing the school, Chukwu Machukwu-Ume (SAN) as well as counsel to the bank and the appointed receiver, Bola Olotu.
 
Recall that First Bank PLC sealed the school premises since June over a N619 million loan.

The school with six buildings of four floors each comprising both secondary and high school is estimated at N6 billion.
 
It was also alleged that the bank used the said forged agreement to obtain an order of a Federal High Court in suit no: FHC/ABJ/CS/1023/2015, which granted it access to the school property.
 
The school claimed that when the attention of the two directors of the school, Dr Francis Chukwuma Nwufoh and his wife, Doris Adaora Nwufoh as well as the two directors of France-Lee Nigeria Ltd, which sold the land to the school in 2008, Francis Charity Ibe and his son, Emeka Prince Kelechi, were drawn to the documents, they all denied knowledge of the agreement or affixing their signature on the document.

Also, the Notary Public, Godwin Imakhai, before whom the directors were purported to have deposed to two affidavits dated October 25, 2013 endorsing the said Tripartite Agreement, denied the document.