The Managing Director of United Bank for Africa, UBA, Oliver Alawuba, and other senior executives of the bank are facing possible committal proceedings over alleged failure to comply with a court order directing the payment of N7.44 billion owed in a judgment involving Mauritz Walton Nigeria Limited and the Benue State Government.
The dispute has reportedly triggered enforcement actions around some UBA branches in the Federal Capital Territory, with bank employees expressing fears over possible disruptions to operations and the seizure of the bank’s assets.
A staff member of one of the bank’s branches in Abuja, who spoke to the reporter on condition of anonymity, confirmed that armed policemen had visited the branch and warned that they would return during the week.
The employee said the development had left members of staff terrified, adding that workers were apprehensive about the possible consequences of the enforcement proceedings.
The staff member also disclosed that employees were increasingly worried about using the bank’s bullion vans to transport cash for fear that the vehicles could be seized in the course of the enforcement exercise.
The legal dispute centres on a judgment debt of N7,448,113,025.42 obtained by Mauritz Walton Limited against the Benue State Government and subsequent garnishee proceedings involving funds held by UBA on behalf of the state government.
In a ruling delivered by Justice Bello Kawu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, the court made an earlier Garnishee Order Nisi absolute against UBA, directing the bank to pay the judgment sum to the creditors through their solicitors’ chambers within 24 hours of being served with the order.
The court also discharged the remaining 20 garnishees from the proceedings, leaving UBA as the garnishee against which the payment directive was made.
Justice Kawu further held that the appeals filed by the Benue State Government against the substantive judgment did not automatically halt the garnishee proceedings.
The judge reasoned that garnishee proceedings are directed at a third party holding funds belonging to a judgment debtor and that an appeal against the original judgment does not, by itself, prevent the enforcement process from continuing.
The court identified account number 100722383870 as the Benue State Government FAAC/Treasury Single Account domiciled with UBA.
According to the court, the account had a balance of N2,093,222,436.25 as of November 18, 2025, when the Garnishee Order Nisi was served on the bank.
The court also noted that subsequent Federation Account Allocation Committee, FAAC, allocations had been paid into the account and that the funds, including subsequent accruals, were covered by the order to the extent required to satisfy the judgment debt.
It relied, among other authorities, on the Court of Appeal decision in Dangote Cement Plc v. Ekeson Salins Oil & Gas Ltd & Ors (2024) LPELR-62744(CA).
However, the court document does not independently establish whether UBA subsequently effected the payment, whether the order was stayed or overturned, or whether the judgment debt has been fully settled.
Mauritz Walton Limited alleges that UBA has failed to comply with the payment directive and says it has consequently activated contempt proceedings against the bank’s top executives.
The judgment creditors have also reportedly filed applications seeking the attachment of UBA’s headquarters and other branches in Abuja as part of efforts to enforce the judgment.
Speaking on the development, the Group Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mauritz Walton Limited, Dr Maurice Ibe, said the company had maintained its commitment to the judicial process despite what he described as provocations and intimidation by UBA and the Benue State Government.
Ibe said the company had instructed its legal team to pursue all available enforcement measures, including proceedings aimed at securing the committal of responsible bank executives.
He further disclosed that Mauritz Walton had briefed its lawyers in the United Kingdom and the United States to explore legal options for attaching UBA’s assets and properties in both countries.
According to him, the company also plans to report the bank’s alleged conduct to relevant regulatory authorities.
Ibe accused UBA of frustrating the enforcement of an earlier judgment obtained by his company in December 2021 against the Ebonyi State Government, involving $30 million and N20 billion.
He alleged that the bank collaborated with the Ebonyi State Government to frustrate the earlier judgment, a claim that could not be independently verified.
The businessman questioned the implications of alleged failure by financial institutions to comply with court orders, arguing that such conduct could undermine foreign investors’ confidence in Nigeria’s business and judicial environment.
He maintained that Mauritz Walton would pursue the matter to its logical conclusion until the judgment debt was recovered.
The unfolding dispute has raised fresh questions about the responsibilities of banks acting as garnishees, the enforcement of court judgments and the consequences of failure to comply with judicial orders.
Meanwhile, the reported police visits have heightened anxiety among some UBA employees in Abuja, with concerns that further enforcement measures could affect the bank’s operations.
UBA’s response to the allegations, the reported police visits and the claimed failure to comply with the court order was not available at the time of filing this report.
