Court unfreezes Delta state's bank account

An Abuja Federal High Court has vacated the ex-parte order freezing the Paris Club bank account of the Delta state government with Zenith Bank Plc.

Justice Yusuf Halilu had ordered that the account, where the state received the refund of excess deductions on foreign loans, be frozen on August 3, 2017.

The previous order was in support of an ex-parte originating summons by Mauritz Walton Nigeria Ltd who accused the state, alongside Abia state and Cross River state, of owing debts after contracting the consultancy firm to pursue the refund of excess deductions on foreign loans and miscellaneous charges.

The firm was supposed to get a certain percentage of any fund recovered in exchange for its services. According to the agreement, the firm was supposed to get 30% of any fund recovered for Delta state, and 20% each from Abia and Cross River.

When the firm dragged the defendants to court, the Delta state government owed $27.3 million and N3 billion, while Abia state government reportedly owed the sum of $11.3 million and N1.72 billion, and Cross River owed $8.1 million and N1.2 billion.

In the state's appeal to the court, counsel, Alex Izonyi (SAN), argued that the court lacked jurisdiction on the matter.