Land Dispute: Court Orders Firm To Refund N5bn To Bauchi Govt

The Bauchi State High Court II has ordered Mauritz Walton Nigeria Limited to refund over N5 billion to the state government following the legal dispute over a consultancy agreement.

Delivering judgment yesterday, the presiding judge, Hon. Justice Kunaza N. Hamidu, directed the company to immediately refund N5,028,249,914.66 to the state government.

Justice Hamidu said the state government had entered into a consultancy agreement with Mauritz Walton Nigeria Limited for the reconciliation and recovery of idle funds and excess interest or charges on foreign loans.

According to the court, the consultancy agreement expired on January 2, 2015, and the company failed to recover the alleged excess deductions, charges and outstanding funds in the state government’s accounts within the 90 days stipulated in the agreement.

The judge further ruled that since the agreement had expired and was not renewed, and the defendant failed to recover the funds within the agreed period, it was not entitled to the consultancy fee.

The court granted an injunction restraining the company, its agents or privies from demanding any consultancy fee from the state government in relation to the agreement.

It awarded N100 million as general damages against the company.

Counsel to the Bauchi State government, M. A. Liman, who held the brief of Chief Uche (SAN), expressed appreciation to the court for what he described as a fair judgment in favour of the state government.

Darlington Onyekwere represented Mauritz Walton Nigeria Limited during the proceedings.