JAIZ bank drags Lagos businessman to court for using police as debt recovery agent
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Suleiman Ijaoba avers further that Police officers are now acting as debt recovery agents and that the allegation of Paul Samuel if any, is of a civil in nature and not criminal.
By Akin Kuponiyi
JAIZ bank Plc alongside five of its officers have dragged a Lagos businessman, Paul Udeh Samuel trading under the name and style of IKJ UDEH COMPANY, before a Federal High Court in Lagos for using Nigerian Police as a debt recovery agent.
The other JAIZ Bank officers involved in the suit are Salamatu Sheidu, Nasiru Dan Maliki, Sulaiman Ijaoba, Bolaji Balogun and Francis Sogo Thaddeus.
Joined as co-respondents are Assistant Inspector of Police Zone 2 Police Command, DCP Adams Bello Mohammed, SP Ajibade Solomon, and Mr.Tunde Temehin.
The applicants are urging the court to issue an order restraining the respondents and their agents from interfering with the business of the bank, intimidating, harassing, and threatening the five staff members of the bank with arrest.
According to an affidavit sworn to by the fourth defendant, Suleiman Ijaoba and filed before the court by a Lagos lawyer, Barrister Nasir Salau, the deponent avers thus:
That on the 23rd of October,2025, the Applicants through the Chief Compliance Officer of the bank received a letter of invitation from the office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 2, Police Command.
Upon inquiry from the office of the 3rd respondent SP Ajibade Solomon; the Applicants’ counsel Nasir Salau was informed that a petition was written against the Applicants by the 5th Respondent Paul Samuel.
That the petition against JAIZ Bank Plc by Paul Samuel was that the bank owes Paul Samuel about N55,000,000.00 (Fifty-Five Million Naira Only) being agency fee in respect of a property the bank purchased at No. 32, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, rather than the officers of the respondents treating the matter as purely civil in nature and decline to entertain it, they turned it to a criminal matter.
On 28th October 2025, the bank and Paul Samuel were made to make statements by officers of the Police under word of caution thereby giving the petition of Paul Samuel the full compliments of a criminal petition.
They were granted bail with the instructions that the applicants should report to the office of the SP Ajibade by 4th November 2025.
Suleiman Ijaoba avers further that Police officers are now acting as debt recovery agents and that the allegation of Paul Samuel if any, is of a civil in nature and not criminal.
That the Applicants have not committed any offence in relation to the course of purported contractual relationship with Paul Samuel.
All what Paul Samuel depend on is to use brute force and extra judicial means to coerce and recover from the Applicants an alleged sum tagged agency fee.
Paul Samuel in concert with the 2nd – 5th Respondents are making clandestine moves to surreptitiously disrupt, cripple and castrate the Applicants’ business operations and activities by detaining the Francis Sogo Thaddeus and key officers of the bank.
The subject matter (if any) is strictly commercial and civil contractual transaction between Paul Samuel and JAIZ Bank.
That the Applicants have not committed any criminal offence in the course of carrying out their duties with the Paul Samuel
That unless this Honourable court timeously restrains the Respondents, they will arrest and detain the applicants and key officers of the Bank and disrupt the operations of the Bank
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