SURU Group Boss, Edward Akinlade. Photo Credit: THISDAY Newspaper.
Suru World Wide Ventures has accused the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) of bridge of peace and contempt of court for sealing its property despite a pending ruling before the court of appeal.
Speaking at a press conference Monday, Anomneze Peace Obianuju, company secretary and legal manager, Suru Worldwide, said, “Indeed, AMCON did the unthinkable in a democratic society where the rule of law holds sway, being that our company had filed an appeal against AMCOM, which was still pending in the Court of Appeal, yet AMCON still stormed our property to levy execution on the said property without court bailiffs, which we reported to the Area F Police Station Ikeja, as breach of peace and contempt of court.”
Obianuju said AMCON stormed the property of Suru Worldwide ventures, precisely, Best Western Hotel, with the use of mobilised armed mobile policemen, switched off the hotel’s generator, tear gassed its workers and the lodgers and brought its client’s business to an abrupt and complete halt.
According to Obianuju, AMCON had previously prayed the court to allow it take possession of the company’s property, Best Western Hotel, which properties are securities of alleged debt.
She further stressed that AMCON chose to only involve the inspector general of police, the commandant-general of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and Lagos State commandant of the corps, the only parties to this suit conveniently leaving out the alleged debtor.
In response to this, SURU Company also filed an appeal against the above judgment in CA/L/1257M/17 and AMCON also filed their reply through their lawyer, Joseph Nwobike and the application was heard May 4, 2018, and same reserved for ruling. “Worthy of note is that AMCON was represented at the Court of Appeal same day during the hearing,” she said.
AMCON being aware of the appeal of SURU’s client for continuity and further execution of the said judgment, it has continued to levy execution on our remaining properties obviously with a view to confront the court with a fait accompli.
“We consider the action taken by AMCON as contempt of the court despite the pendency of the ruling before the court of appeal. We are particularly dissatisfied with the firm of Joseph Nwobike who led troops of police men on 25th may, 2018, being officers in the temple of justice that ought to respect and uphold the tenets of the law,” she said.
In response, a source at AMCON told BusinessDay, “You do not borrow money and think you will wish it away. When you borrow money, you have to pay. If AMCON is not blunt, many people who have borrowed loans will continue to misbehave”
