Alleged Forgery: Reps’ committee indicts First Bank, others

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petition has indicted
the First Bank of Nigeria Plc, over a case of fraud and forgery of N690m loan documents brought against it by Dr. Francis Nwufoh, owner of Whiteplains British School, Abuja.

Joined in the petition by Whiteplains were Managing Director First Bank, the Governor Central Bank of Nigeria, Director in charge of Land AGIS, the Inspector General of Police, and the Nigerian Police.

Other respondents included Barr Godwin Imakhai (Notary Public) and one
Bola Olotu.
The report sighted by newsmen on Sunday was duly signed by Hon. Uzoma
Nkem-Abonta, Committee Chairman, and Yakubu W. Yilji (PST), Committee
Clerk.

The Committee observed from documentary evidence and oral testimonies
by parties that there was a Tripartite Mortgage agreement which was
purportedly signed by the Petitioner and First Bank of Nigeria Plc.

The committee found out that “the Tripartite Legal Mortgage was
secured by fraud since all the signatories denied ever signing same”.

“That the Tripartite Legal Mortgage was forged by one Mr. Chuks Dibiezue, the owner of Lagardera & Co., who is an external solicitor to First Bank”.

“That from the evidence led before this Honourable Committee, it is obvious that the Lawyers who perfected the said Deed of Tripartite Legal Mortgage doctored or forged the signatures of the Directors of France-Lee Nigeria Ltd after discovering that the Petitioner did not perfect his title to the said property in order to secure the perfection of the deed to Tripartite LegaI Mortgage” the report stated.

More so, “The Committee observed that throughout the proceeding in this Petition, neither the First Bank nor Mr. Chuks Dibiezue ever showed any sign of remorse for the heinous crime allegation of forgery levelled against them by a client they are supposed to protect” the report revealed.

The Committee said it carefully took a critical look at the offer for loan agreement the parties willingly entered into, which was one of the documents forwarded to the Committee by both parties and discovered that “at nowhere in the agreement was any mention made concerning Deed of Tripartite Legal Mortgage”.

“First Bank could not present any evidence of receipt of Deed of the Tripartite Legal Mortgage agreement to the Petitioner and France-Lee till date,” the report said.
Therefore following it’s findings, the Committee recommended the Central Bank of Nigeria to investigate the role of First Bank in the forgery of Deed of Tripartite Legal Mortgage documents, which altered the loan agreement.

The committee directed the police to  conclude investigation and prosecute if necessary just as it charged the disciplinary committee of the Nigeria Bar Association to investigate the case and bring the culpable Lawyers who perpetrated the forgery to book.

The Committee directed, “The Directors of Land, Abuja Geographical information System to expunge all the documents filed in securing the Deed of Tripartite Legal Mortgage over Plot No. 321 measuring approximately 1.8 hectares within Dakibiyu District Cadastral Zone B10 allocated to France-Lee Nigeria Ltd by virtue of the term of grant conveyance of approval dated 24th July, 1998 and a certificate of occupancy dated 31st August, 2005.

Also, the Directors of Land were asked to “expunge, discountenance and cancel the said forged deed of Tripartite Legal Mortgage over the said property as same was secured by fraud.

The report equally directed the Registrar General of Corporate Affairs
Commission to “cancel the letter of consent to file signatures of Directors of Franc-Lee Nigeria Ltd filed by Mr. Chuks Dibiezue, the external solicitor of the First Bank and Form CO7, the particulars of charge duly filed by Mr. Chuks Dibiezue, the external solicitor to First Bank”.

Hon Zaphaniah Jisalo presented the petition on behalf of Whiteplains British School, at the House of Representatives’ sitting of Tuesday, 11th December 2018.
Trouble started when out of N200m earmarked as running cost of the school, a whooping N188. 6m was deducted from it as “a larger than life perfection
Charges ” by the bank.

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