Bank force to pay 4m for damages

A High court sitting in Benin City has awarded the sum of N4million as general damages against the Ugbowo branch of First Bank PLC and two others in Favour of one Mr. Kingsley Eromosele.

The award is for the ill-treatment, harassment, assault and hardship meted out to Mr. Eromosele by the bank officials in September 2014.

The court presided over by Mr. Justice A. Edodo-Eruaga in a judgement said that from the evidence before it, the Mr. Eromosele has proved his case beyond doubts.

He also said that the bank failed to exercise the duty of care due Mr. Eromosele as a user of the Benin-Lagos-Uselu Express Road.

He said this happened when the second and third defendants who are security men chased one of the bank’s customers that was labeled a “mad man ” unto the express road.

The confusion caused a collision with Mr. Eromosele’s car damaging it in the process, which incident forced him into seeking legal redress.

Counsel to the bank had argued before the court that Mr. Eromosele was paid N7000 for the damages to his car, an amount the court said was, to say the least insulting”.

On the rationale of the bank’s security men chasing a mad man the court said that, “it goes to show the disdain members of the society treat persons with disability”.

The court which however dismissed the counter claims of the bank and its officials also refused an additional award of N1,070,000 being Mr. Eromosele’s claims for general damages for his car.