The National Industrial Court in Port Harcourt has ordered United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc to pay a former employee, Lot Samuel Akintoye, ₦4.397 million after finding that the bank unlawfully withheld his salary over a customer’s failure to repay a ₦20 million credit facility.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that Justice Z. M. Bashir delivered the judgment on September 8, 2026, in Suit No. NICN/PH/141/2022, filed by Akintoye against UBA.
The court awarded the former banker ₦3,397,151.39 in unpaid salary and an additional ₦1 million as litigation costs. It ordered the bank to pay the judgment sum within 10 days, failing which the outstanding amount would attract 20 per cent annual interest until fully paid.
The dispute followed UBA’s decision to place Akintoye on what the bank described as “Credit Recovery Suspension” after a customer, Teslat Global Resources Ltd, defaulted on a ₦20 million overdraft facility. Akintoye had recommended the customer for the facility after UBA directed its employees to identify customers who could benefit from credit facilities.
Following the customer’s default, UBA placed Akintoye on suspension in September 2015 and initially paid him only 50 per cent of his salary. He was directed to recover the customer’s indebtedness within three months.
The court held that the arrangement amounted to making Akintoye bear the consequences of a customer’s default. Justice Bashir held that there was no evidence that Akintoye had committed fraud, collusion, negligence, or other culpable conduct in relation to the granting or administration of the facility that would justify withholding his salary.
The judge relied on Section 9(5) of the Labour Act, which protects workers from being made liable for another person’s debt, default, or miscarriage. The court noted that UBA had itself assessed the customer’s creditworthiness, approved the facility, and obtained collateral before granting the credit.
The court found that the bank unfairly penalised Akintoye for the customer’s failure to repay the facility, despite UBA’s legal and contractual remedies to recover the debt. The judgment stated that Akintoye was recalled in June 2016, but UBA did not restore the withheld salary.
The court did not invalidate Akintoye’s eventual dismissal from UBA, which occurred on October 17, 2017, over an allegation involving the suppression of ₦120,000 belonging to a customer. The court accepted that he had been allowed to respond to that allegation.
Source verification: Original reporting based on the judgment in Suit No. NICN/PH/141/2022 as reported by Eighteen-Eleven Media. The court’s findings and awards are attributed to the National Industrial Court, Port Harcourt Judicial Division.
Editorial Policy: CDA News Nigeria is committed to accurate and balanced reporting. Legal findings are attributed to the court proceedings.
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