By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Two customers of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Sunlek Investment Limited and Sunsteel Industries Limited, have slammed a N7 billion suit on the lender headed by Mr Adam Nuru.

The companies accused the financial institution of breach of contract concerning credit facilities they obtained from the bank some years ago.

In a report by Global Excellence Magazine, it was stated that in a 126-paragraph statement of claim accompanied by another 27 paragraphs of a witness sworn to on oath and filed before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos by a Lagos lawyer, Mr John Olusegun Odubela (SAN), the two firms claimed they operated loan accounts with FCMB upon which disbursement was made for all letters of credit/loan facility granted to them by the bank for the importation of raw materials.

However, since May 23, 2013, when the bank entered into an agreement to grant them loan and open a loan facility account for them till date, they have not been given the particulars of the loan facility account or has any statement of account of this loan account been made available to them.

The plaintiffs further alleged that by commitment letter dated May 23, 2013 and the term sheet for facility duly signed/executed by the two parties, FCMB committed and undertook to fund on fully-underwritten basis the debt finance of $1.5million and N422.5million Thereafter, other loans facilities were granted to the companies by the bank.

It was stated that the total amount of the letters of credit opened by the bank in favour of the companies were $8.0 million out of which said sum the companies contributed 10 percent based on the terms of the grant of the various offer for facility utilized to open letters of credit from March 22, 2013 to September 2017. The loans facilities were well secured.

The plaintiffs contended that from the available records available to them, it was reflected that they have fully repaid their indebtedness to the bank.

However, the companies said they were surprised when they received the bank’s letter that their indebtedness to the bank as at March 14, 2019 was in the sum of N1.13 billion and that the debt should be liquidated within 14 days, despite the fact that they have fully repaid the loan they took from the bank.

As a result of this, they engaged the services of an accounting firm to audit their account. They claimed that their letter and their solicitor’s letter requesting for statements of accounts of the loan accounts from the FCMB were not responded to and that from the forensic analysis of their accounts, it was observed that they were not in any way indebted to the bank in the sum of N1.13 billion as claimed by the lender.

The plaintiffs said from the forensic audit report, it was discovered that there were two transactions carried out on letter of credit, wherein substantial volume of the product was damaged. The value of items purchased by the letters of credit was in the sum of $1,999,965 for the importation of cold rolled steel strips, galvanized steel strips and Zinc wire from Chemetals (HK) limited Unit 1105H/F Lippo Center 89, Queens Way Hong Kong.

The companies said FCMB was solely and unilaterally liable to undertake all the risk insurance policy Clause A for the consignment/raw material to be imported by virtue of the letter of credit.

According to them, the bank solely negotiated insurance policy obtained for the products purchased and appointed Mansard Insurance Plc to provide insurance cover Clause C for the importation of the consignment.

It said upon taken delivery of the consignment after payment of custom duties and port charges, it was discovered that a large volume of the said consignment was in various forms of damaged conditions.

The plaintiffs claimed they informed the bank about the damaged consignment and the need to pursue insurance claim for the damage consignment and that FCMB requested for documents from the officers of the plaintiffs, which were sent to them to pursue the claim.

In the statement of claim, the plaintiffs said however, the agent of the bank sent a report to them saying from the nature of damages to some of the products, the insurance policy, being a Clause C policy as undertaken by the bank, was not sufficient to cover the loss from the said damages to the products.

The total value of the consignment damaged was in the sum of $628,386.23 and N336.14 million.

The plaintiffs said FCMB ought to have undertaken an all risk insurance policy cover with the insurance company. As a result of the damages to the consignment, they were not fit for use and could not be refined in the plaintiffs’ machine and remained in their factory as junk or waste material.

The plaintiffs averred that they have suffered financial loss as a result of the breach of contract in the sum of N884.9 million which has negatively affected their business operation since 2014 till date.

They also averred that they are entitled to claim damages for breach of contract against the bank who had by its various acts of breaches of the various letters of offer for facility caused great loss to their business.       Consequently, the plaintiffs claim against FCMB jointly and severally are as follows:

“General damages in the sum of N5 billion.

“A declaration that the plaintiffs are not indebted to the bank in any sum premised on the fact that they have settled all their indebtedness on the facilities granted to them by the bank.

“A declaration that the bank breach the terms of letter of credit and is liable for the loss of the letters of offer on importation, in the sum of $1,999,865.

“A declaration that the bank is liable to refund to the plaintiffs N884.9 million being the losses uncured on the damaged consignment purchased through letters of credits and failure and refusal of the bank to obtain an all risk insurance policy for the shipment of the said consignment.

“An order for the payment of N826,996,135.00 being the total sum wrongly debited on the plaintiffs account by the bank.

“An order of the court restraining FCMB from appointing and or registering any instrument of appointment of an official receiver or any instrument whatsoever made for the purpose of enforcing the security for the payment of alleged indebtedness in the sum of N1.13 billion being allegedly claimed against the plaintiffs by the bank and a cost of litigation assessed at N250 million.”