Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld an N85 million judgment against Zenith Bank and the Nigeria Police Force over the unlawful freezing of a law firm’s bank account.
Gatekeepers News reports that a three-member panel led by Justice Adebukola Banjoko unanimously dismissed Zenith Bank’s appeal, ruling that it lacked merit. The decision affirmed the July 16, 2025 judgment of the Federal Capital Territory High Court.
The original case was filed by Paulyn Abhulimen on behalf of her law firm, Abhulimen & Co., after access to the firm’s Zenith Bank account was restricted in 2024.
Abhulimen said she discovered that the account had been placed under a “Post No Debit” restriction, preventing her from accessing the funds and carrying out transactions. A bank official subsequently informed her that the restriction was imposed on March 13, 2024, based on an ex parte order obtained by the police from a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Mararaba Gurku, Nasarawa State.
The FCT High Court had ruled that the magistrates’ court lacked both territorial and substantive jurisdiction to issue an order freezing the account.
Justice S.U. Bature, who delivered the 2025 judgment, also faulted Zenith Bank for acting on the order, saying the bank’s legal department should have recognised that the court lacked the necessary jurisdiction.
The court further held that the bank was negligent for failing to notify Abhulimen that her account had been frozen, describing the failure as a breach of its duty of care and due diligence.
The High Court consequently awarded N60 million in general damages and N25 million in costs against Zenith Bank and the police, jointly and severally.
It also ordered Zenith Bank to immediately lift the restriction on the account and publish an unreserved apology to the claimant in two national newspapers and on its website.
With the Court of Appeal’s latest ruling, the N85 million award and the other major reliefs granted by the FCT High Court remain in force.
