Court gives ex-director’s son 30 days to vacate bank’s property 

A high Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has given Aliyu Sanda, son of a former executive director with ASO Savings and Loans Plc, Maimuna Aliyu Sanda, 30 days to vacate a property belonging to the bank on the ground that he had refused to pay for the said property.

The order was sequel to a suit filed by Nature Assets Limited, a company being promoted by Aliyu. The plaintiff had brought the action claiming that by virtue of a Deed of Assignment executed in its favour by the mortgage bank, it has become entitled to the ownership of a duplex, situated at House A6, ASO Grove Estate, Plot 3111 Cadastral Zone F04, Mpape, Abuja. 

It, however, prayed the court to restrain the bank from evicting it from the property based on the foregoing. The bank, on its part, contended that although the property was offered to the plaintiff through his mother, Maimuna Aliyu, and the plaintiff has been in possession thereof, in view of the influence of Maimuna Aliyu, no form of payment whatsoever has been made for same property.

Delivering his ruling, the trial Judge, Justice V. Venda, said despite the fact that an offer was made to the plaintiff for the property and a Deed of Assignment issued in contemplation of payments, the plaintiff has not made any payment whatsoever for the property.

He, however, ordered the plaintiff to effect a purchase payment of N200million for the property within 30 days.The court further restrained the bank from forcefully evicting the plaintiff from the property and also ordered the plaintiff to pay the bank an additional sum of N5million being cost of the suit.

The bank, in reaction, said it was reviewing the judgment with its solicitors and would take appropriate decisions in due course. Only recently, another FCT High Court dismissed a ‘no case’ submission made by Maryam Sanda, Maimunat’s daughter accused of killing her husband, Bilyamin Bello, and ordered her to enter her defence.

The case has, however, continued to suffer setback, as the trial Judge, Justice Halilu Yusuf, has since May this year been involved in election tribunal assignment in Ogun State.