By Safiu Kehinde
Nigeria’s Banking Industry giant, First Bank, has broken silence over a fraudulent dispossession lawsuit filed against the company by the Federal Government on behalf of the Proprietor of Whiteplain British School, Mr. Francis Chukwumah Nwufor.
In reaction to an earlier news report of the court case involving the bank, its Managing Director, and three others, First Bank released a counter statement, dubbing the report as a ‘sponsored sensational report’ while labelling the charge as an attempt to embarrass the bank.
As contained in the statement released earlier today, First Bank claimed the prosecutor, who is a debtor with the bank, is attempting to breech the banks loan recovery effort as well as the legal enforcement of its security collateral interest which were clearly defined in the agreement between the bank and the debtor.
The statement read in part; “Our attention has been drawn to a sponsored sensational report by some online publications on a charge brought against the Bank.
“While we will not be able to offer further comments as the matter is sub-judice, suffice it to say that the basis of the charge is a spurious allegation made by a delinquent debtor with the intention of embarrassing the Bank and tainting the Bank’s loan recovery efforts and legal enforcement of its security collateral interest in accordance with the terms thereof.”
Meanwhile, the bank assures members of the public of maintaining its ethical conduct while revealing that necessary steps will be taken towards retrieving the incurred debts from the prosecutor.
“We wish to assure our numerous customers, stakeholders and the general public that FirstBank operates by the highest standards of ethical conduct and will under no circumstances involve itself in any act of illegality just as it will take necessary legal steps to check any attempt by recalcitrant debtors to fritter away depositors’ funds under its custody.” The statement read further.