An Abuja based media firm, Image Merchants Promotion Limited and its promoter, Mallam Yushau Shuaib have slammed a N200mn suit against Access Bank Plc over an alleged unlawful freezing of their four different accounts with the bank in the past two years.

 The bank was dragged before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja by the two plaintiffs who had jointly claimed the N200M as damages for the hardships inflicted on them by the Bank with the freezing.

 In the suit with No. FCT/HC/CV/0657/2018 filed on their behalf by Yunus Abdulsalam, the plaintiffs are praying the Court to declare that freezing of their account by the bank as unlawful and a clear breach of the duty of care owed them by the bank.

 They are also praying for an order of the Court directing the bank to unfreeze their Private, Salary, Operational and Domiciliary Accounts of the Company and its Promoter with Access Bank Plc.

 The media outfit and its promoter are the publishers of Economic Confidential Magazine and PRNigeria, a public relations firm.

 They claimed that they have tried to no avail with the bank to unfreeze their accounts which met brick walls each time and later metamorphosed to their solicitors writing the final letter to the bank.

 In the suit, Shuaib says that the inexplicable freezing of his account has kept him struggling to meet up with his responsibilities as the breadwinner of his family thereby putting his four children, wife and aged parents into a state of avoidable hardship.

 Their solicitors had written a letter dated 21st December 2017 and addressed to the Branch Manager, Access Bank Plc,  Plot 1244, Samuel Ladoke Akintola Boulevard, Garki 2, Abuja, and received same day, the bank was informed that failure to unfreeze their accounts within seven days will resort to court action as there has been no official explanation by the bank

 Therefore, the Plaintiffs applied for an order of the Court in directing the defendant to unfreeze the four accounts and also sought for an order of the Court in awarding the sum of N200m only being general and exemplary damages against the bank for unlawful freezing of their account and breach of duty of care owed to them by the bank.

 In addition, the plaintiffs demanded another sum of N1M against the bank being the cost of the suit. They also sought payment of 10% of the judgment sum from the date of delivery of judgment until the entire sum is liquidated.

 No date has yet been fixed for the hearing.