By Comfort Olayinka
Charles Adewale Oyelade, a Nigerian citizen, has raised an alarm over what he claims to be a fraudulent and oppressive act carried out by First Bank of Nigeria.
Oyelade alleges that the bank placed an illegal debt, totaling millions of Naira, into his salary account and is now pressuring him to pay it off.
The situation became even more complicated when the matter was brought to court. According to Oyelade, despite presenting evidence, including bank statements and official letters, the court ignored all relevant documentation, favoring the bank’s position.
The case, which was initially heard at the High Court, was later escalated to the Appeal Court, where Oyelade claims that all evidence in his favor was disregarded. He asserts that the judgment was based on issues that were neither part of the case nor the dispute, leading to a miscarriage of justice.
“I am here this morning to cry out to Nigerians over a matter that I think it’s a fraudulent and an oppressive act being meted out on me by first bank. The bank actually carried an illegal debt running into several millions of Naira, and put it in my salary account, and they are trying to compel me to pay for it at all costs.”
‘They put this illegal debt into my salary account, matched it up with an existing loan in my salary account, thereby making it difficult for me to even pay the loan. I made several attempts to compare the bank to remove this illegal debt from my account. When it became clear that they are not willing to do so, I decided to approach the court, and to my greatest surprise, the Court began to manipulate this case against me.”
” In fact, what happened was that all the facts, all the evidence documented, including bank statement and letters that I presented in court, were ignored. They were all ignored, and the judges began to twist the case in favor of the bank, to the extent that at the High Court and their pre court level, the judges went as far as shooting themselves in the foot, even in their judgment.”
“I have all the facts and evidence to portray this point. At the high court level, the case was presided over by justice, and the case file number issued, number AK 140 2016 this judgment was delivered precisely on the 20th of May 2018 I decided to approach the Appeal Court, and the other people level. It was presided over by the trio of justices Ama Akawo Baka, justice James gambo abundaga and justice Yusuf Alhaji bashir. “
“The case file number is CA,/AK/ 2076/ 2018 and their judgments were delivered on the 2 of december 2021, I have every evidence and every fact to prove that this case were manipulated against me. They ignored all the evidence I submitted in court concerning this matter and decided to use a ground that is not in dispute and that is not even part of the case that is not even part of what we brought to court to deliver this judgment.”
Speaking out on the matter, Oyelade has called for intervention from human rights organizations, judicial authorities, and prominent legal figures, including Chief Femi Falana, to help him seek justice.
” I am using this opportunity to cry out to Nigerians to please come to my rescue. I am using this opportunity to call on the various judicial authorities in this country, the various human rights organizations and human rights lawyers like our father, Chief Femi falana,to please come to my rescue on this matter. I’m using this opportunity to also call on Tap initiative to please come into my rescue in on this matter, because I don’t understand the reason in the first place why I should pay for what I did not buy.”
He emphasizes that he should not be held responsible for paying a debt that he did not incur, nor for the bank’s alleged negligence “I don’t understand the reason why I should pay for the bank’s negligence, and this money is running into several millions of Naira, in fact, as at last year, when the bank was writing to me, they are saying that this debt is standing at about 18.7 million.”
As the bank’s debt reportedly stands at 18.7 million Naira, Oyelade has vowed to continue fighting the matter, offering to present all evidence to any investigative panel.
” And I don’t understand how I should pay for the bank’s error or negligence. And this is the reason why I have decided to come and cry out to Nigerians. I am ready, if need be, to face any investigative panel on this matter to prove my case, because I have all the evidence at my disposal. I have all the facts, and I’m ready to prove it anytime, any day. That is the reason why I have decided to come and make this brief comment about this matter once more.”
He is appealing for public support, urging Nigerians to stand with him as he seeks justice in what he believes is a case of injustice and corruption. He also pleaded for a swift action as he suspects foul play.
“I will appreciate if there is going to be need for any investigative panel to be as quickly as possible, because I am suspecting a lot of foul play in this matter. This is Nigeria and I will just do hope that they will not pick me up and go and hide me somewhere to come and tell Nigerians that I ran with me, so I want Nigerians to please come out and Rescue me on this case.’
