B C Obilor and Associates

03/10/2026

Happy birthday Favour. Age gracefully and with loads of blessings...

01/10/2026

29/09/2026

The consequences of criminal activities

29/09/2026

CAN A BANK SIMPLY LOCK YOUR MONEY?

Imagine waking up one morning, attempting to transfer money from your bank account, only to discover that your account has been frozen or placed under severe restrictions. You contact the bank, but no satisfactory explanation is given.

This was the issue that came before the High Court of Justice, Ondo State, today, where the Court found that the freezing/restriction of the Claimant’s bank account without a court order was unlawful and illegal.

The Court consequently awarded ₦25,000,000.00 (Twenty-Five Million Naira) against the bank for the wrongful act.

Why does this matter?

A bank account is not merely a number on a screen. It represents a customer's money and property. While banks and other institutions may, in appropriate circumstances, restrict transactions in accordance with the law and legitimate regulatory requirements, such powers are not unlimited.

Where an account is restricted without lawful justification or the necessary legal authority, the affected customer may have grounds to challenge the action and seek appropriate remedies.

The decision is therefore a reminder that banking institutions must exercise their powers within the bounds of the law. The fact that a bank holds a customer's money does not give it an unrestricted power to prevent the customer from accessing that money.

For account holders, the lesson is simple: remedy if your bank freezes or restricts your account without lawful basis, you may have a legal remedy.

And for financial institutions, the message is equally important: procedural safeguards and the rights of customers cannot simply be ignored.

Justice requires accountability, even where the institution involved is a bank.

29/09/2026

⚖️ ANOTHER VICTORY AT THE BAR!
₦10 MILLION LIBEL CLAIM DISMISSED!

Our client was sued in a defamation/libel action, with the Claimant seeking the sum of ₦10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) in damages.

After a full trial and rigorous cross-examination, the Honourable Court of Ondo state sitting in Akure, today, dismissed the Claimant’s case.

Among other findings, the Court held that the Claimant was discredited under cross-examination and that his evidence had been destroyed in the course of the proceedings.

The judgment is a reminder that in litigation, allegations must be supported by credible and reliable evidence. A claim, however strongly presented, must ultimately stand the test of evidence.

Another case. Another lesson. Another victory.

Happy new legal year to us.