A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered First Bank Nigeria Ltd to pay Mr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN the sum of N266.4 million as general damages for mismanaging his share portfolio investment account.
The verdict of the court was as a result of a suit filed Agbakoba against First Bank claiming sundry reliefs.
In his statement of claim filed before the court by a partner in the law firm of Agbakoba and Associates Babatunde Ogungbamila on behalf of the human rights lawyer, he alleged that as a result of bankers/customer relationship between him and the bank; sometime in 2008, the bank introduced its margin trading facility to him, which he accepted.
He said First Bank explained to him that the bank’s customers were to purchase shares with the advanced margin trading facility and pledge the shares to the bank.
The bank, for a management fee, was to professionally manage the advanced facility by selecting the broker and securities the facility would be invested into.
He said the bank would also prepare all the paper work needed, provide information about the funds’ holdings and performances and reserved the power to exit should the fund diminish to a threshold that could impair the economic underpinnings of the investment and left the bank’s exposure uncovered.
According to the customer, the bank claimed to possess the requisite knowledge, skills and expertise to seamlessly manage the investment in a win-win situation under terms and conditions that limited the exposure of the customers who were to rely on the expertise of the bank to manage the investment.
Consequently, the bank requested and encouraged him as a customer to take the margin loan contract.
On the strength assurance, the plaintiffs applied for a margin trading facility of N200 million with the plaintiff and the bank opening a joint special reserve lien account with the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS), whereby First Bank Limited was the sole signatory to the lien account.
The plaintiff said he also provided shares worth N60 million as his own contribution in line with the margin trading facility agreement.
It was fundamental to the margin loan agreement that if the plaintiff was unable to regularize the account within 5 days following the margin call, the bank has the duty to sell the shares and apply the value of the shares appreciate to cover the required margin.
