Mayfresh Mortgage Bank Tackles Its Port Harcourt Landlord, Petitions Police Over Illegal Invasion, Lockdown

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – An Enugu based law firm, A.O. Omotayo and Associates has petitioned the Rivers State Police Command over unlawful, illegal invasion and locking up of the Port Harcourt branch of MAYFRESH Mortgage bank limited by its landlord Chief C.U Nwadike.

The petition signed by the lead Counsel of the law firm, Olu Omotayo, (Esq), made available to African Examiner on Friday said: “Attention: CSP Stella O. Akanwa (Psc), disclosing that the said Mortgage bank is located at No. 94, Olu Obasanjo road, Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital.

It said: “We write to you in respect of the above-mentioned matter on behalf of Mayfresh Mortgage Bank Limited with its Corporate office at Off 1A, Ladoke Akintola Boulevard, Garki 11 , Abuja.

According to the petition, “The bank also has a branch at 94, Olu Obasanjo Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

“We shall hereafter refer to the bank as our client. Our client informed us that it received a “Police Invitation” in respect of one Chief C.U. Nwadike, who ran to your office and made false complaints of “Conduct likely to cause Breach of the Peace” against our client.

“Chief C.U. Nwadike, acted unlawfully by invading the bank in the morning of 26th January 2023, locked up the bank branch at 94, Olu Obasanjo Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State thereby disrupting banking operations.

“This is not only illegal but also unlawful. We quickly advised our client to find a way to remove the padlock Chief C.U. Nwadike used to lock the entrance of the bank in order to pacify crowds of depositors and customers, who were almost becoming violent for not being able to access the bank and withdraw their money in custody of the bank.

“So it is surprising that somebody who acted criminally and recklessly like this to cause breach of peace, law and order, could run to the Police and make a false complaint.

“According to our client, the true position of things is that Chief C.U. Nwadike, who is her landlord on the property and his company owes Sterling Bank Plc over a billion Naira, which they were not able to pay back.

“So a Court “appointed Receiver ” Oloriegbe and Co. took over the management of the property with the assistance of Bailiffs of Federal High Court Port Harcourt, sometime mid last year, and our client called Chief C.U. Nwadike, on that fateful day but he only visited the property and met the ‘Receiver’ and the Bailiffs of court, but left without saying anything to our clients’ officials and left them to their faith.

The petition added that “Our Clients further informed us that while some other tenants vacated the property because of the problem it has no option than to enter into negotiation with the ‘Receiver’ and on his demand paid additional advance rent which is to expire on 31st December 2023.

“As of today our clients owe no rent on the property that is why we found the unlawful invasion of the bank by Chief C.U. Nwadike, very strange and uncalled for.

“We earlier wrote Chief C.U. Nwadike, a letter dated 26th January 2023, wherein we demanded that he desist from any unlawful act against our client and follow due process of the law if he feels that he has any legal right he wants to enforce against our client.

“The said letter is attached herewith. We hereby, also attach the response of the “Appointed Receiver” to a letter we wrote to him, bordering on the false claim made to us by Chief C.U. Nwadike, that ownership of the property has reverted back to him.

“We submit that since he is challenging the ‘Receiver’ at the Federal High Court Port Harcourt, he should argue his case in court, but not run to the Police to make a false complaint which is also an offense under the law.