The State High Court 14, Yenagoa, on Friday adjourned the case between Maize Growers Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (MAGPMAN) Bayelsa Chapter, and Ecobank Plc to Oct. 21.
The farmers had alleged that the bank made unauthorised withdrawals from their accounts, leading to financial losses to them.
The farmers are seeking redress for the alleged financial malfeasance.
The aggrieved farmers are seeking legal redress from Ecobank over the bank’s unsatisfactory handling of their accounts which exposed them to avoidable risks and losses.
When the case came up for pre-trial hearing, the claimant’s Counsel, Seimiekumo Avery, told the court that the case was for pre-hearing and presentation of witnesses.
He said that they had a motion to call additional witnesses.
The counsel said that the motion was filed on Sept. 29, seeking the approval of the court to enlist three more witnesses with details in the motion paper.
The court presided over by Justice Amaebi Orukari ruled that the claimants should amend their motion before pre-trial would commence.
The judge thereafter adjourned the case until Oct. 21.
According to the court summons document sighted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the farmers accounts domiciled with the Bank on the Anchor Borrower Programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria was run in breach of the CBN’s rules for the scheme.
The maize farmers are seeking a cumulative general and punitive damage of N68 billion.
MAGPMAN Bayelsa state chapter in their grouse before the court, lamented that the fraud allegedly perpetrated by the commercial bank had left them with no choice than to seek redress, since the bank (Ecobank) refused to listen to them in a way they would have resolved the issue
