E-Financial
Firms Slam N7Bn Suit on FCMB over Alleged Breach of Contract
Sunlek Investment Limited and Sunsteel Industries Limited, two limited liability companies, have slammed a N7billion suit on First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Plc over alleged breach of contract.
In a 126 -paragraph of statement of claim accompanied by 27 paragraphs of a witness’ sworn oath and filed before a Federal high court sitting in Lagos south west Nigeria by Mr. John Olusegun Odubela SAN, Lagos lawyer, the two companies alleged that they operated loan accounts with First City Monument Bank. It was from there disbursement was made for all letters of credit /loan facility granted to them by the bank for the importation of raw materials.
However since 23rd May, 2013 when the bank entered into an agreement to grant them loan, and open a loan facility account for them till date, they have not been given the particulars of the loan facility account neither has any statement of account of this loan account been made available to them.
The companies alleged further that by a commitment letter dated 23rd May,2013 and the term sheet for facility duly signed /executed by the two parties, FCMB committed and undertook to fund on fully-underwriten basis the debt finance (importation of goods) of $1.5 million and N422.5 million.
Thereafter other loans facilities were granted to the companies by the bank.
The total amount of the letters of credit opened by the bank in favour of the companies is $8 million out of which sum the companies contributed 10% based on the terms of the grant of the various offers for facility utilized to open letters of credit from 22nd, March 2013 to September, 2017. The loans facilities were well secured.
The companies contended that from the available records available to them,it was reflected that they have fully repaid their indebtedness to the Bank
However the companies were bewildered when they received the bank’s letter that their indebtedness to the bank as at 14th of March,2019 was in the sum of N1.1 billion that the debt should be liquidated within 14 days, despite the fact that they had fully repaid the loan they took from the bank.
Consequently, they engaged the services of an accounting firm to audit their account, the plaintiff by their letter and their solicitor’s letter requested for statements of accounts of the loan accounts from the bank, but the bank deliberately failed to make available the said statement of account.
However from the forensic analysis of their accounts, the plaintiffs contended that they are not in any way indebted to the bank.
From the forensic audit report it was discovered that there were two transactions carried out on letter of credit, wherein substantial volume of the product were damaged. The value of items purchased by the letters of credit was in the sum of $2million for the importation of cold rolled steel strips, galvanized steel strips and Zinc wire from Chemetals (HK) limited Unit 1105H/F Lippo Center 89,Queens Way Hong Kong.
FCMB is solely and unilaterally liable to undertake all the risk Insurance policy Clause A for the consignment/raw material to be imported by virtue of the letter of credit.
The bank solely negotiated insurance policy obtained for the products purchased and appointed Mansard Insurance Plc to provide insurance cover Clause C for the importation of the consignment.
Upon taking delivery of the consignment after payment of custom duties and port charges, it was discovered that large volumes of the said consignments were in various forms of damaged conditions.
The companies informed the bank about the damaged consignment and the need to pursue insurance claim for the damage, the bank requested for documents which were presented to them to pursue the claim.
However, the agent of the bank sent a report to the companies to inform them that from the nature of damages to some of the products, the insurance policy, being a Clause C policy as undertaken by the bank is not sufficient to cover the nature of loss from the said damages to the products.
The total value of the consignment damaged is in the sum of $628,386.23 and N336.1 million.
The bank ought to have undertaken an all risk insurance policy cover with the insurance company. As a result of the damages to the consignment, they were not fit for use and could not be refined in the plaintiffs machine and remained in the factory as junk or waste material.
The companies averred that they had suffered financial loss as a result of the breach of contract in the sum of N884.9 million which has negatively affected their business operation since 2014 till date.
They averred that they are entitled to claim damages for breach of contract against the bank that had by its various acts of breaches of the various letters of offer for facility caused great loss to their business.
Consequently the companies’ claim against FCMB jointly and severally are as follows :
General damages in the sum of N5billion.
A declaration that the plaintiffs are not indebted to the bank in any sum premised on the fact that they had settled all their indebtedness on the facilities granted to them by the bank.
A declaration that the bank breached the terms of letter of credit and is liable for the loss of the letters of offer on importation, in the sum of $2million.
A declaration that the bank is liable to refund to the plaintiffs N884.9 million,being the losses uncured on the damaged consignment purchased through letters of credits,and failure and refusal of the bank to obtain an all risk insurance policy for the shipment of the said consignment.
An order for the payment of N826.9 million being the total sum wrongly debited on the companies’ account by the bank.
An order of the court restraining FCMB from appointing and or registering any instrument of appointment of an official receiver or any instrument whatsoever made for the purpose of enforcing the security for the payment of alleged indebtedness in the sum of N1.1 billion being allegedly claimed against the plaintiffs by the bank .
Cost of litigation assessed at N250million.
Nigeria’s Bank Verification Number (BVN) database expanded to 69.55 million as of July 5 2026 from 69.32 million in June 2026, according to latest data released by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS).
BVN is an 11-digit biometric identification system introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria and managed by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) to secure customer accounts and reduce fraud.
This means that BVN enrolments increased by 228,947 between June and July 5 this year.
With the BVN database standing at 67.8 million as of December 31, 2025, it also means that the database grew by 1.75 million between the end of last year and July 5, 2026.
Specifically, with less than 1.8 million BVN enrolments so far recorded for this year, it is looking highly unlikely that BVN registrations at the end of 2026 will come close to the 4.3 million total registrations recorded in 2025.
Analysts note that while the expansion in the BVN database last year was largely driven by the introduction of the NonResident Bank Verification Number (NRBVN) initiative, which enables Nigerians in the diaspora to do their BVN enrolment remotely, thereby removing physical barriers and boosting cross-border financial engagement, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in March this year, announced a revised BVN regulatory framework, that saw it introducing stricter controls on suspected fraudulent transactions, BVN enrollment, and data access within the banking system.
According to the regulator, the amendments to the BVN framework, which came into effect on May 1, 2026, were aimed at strengthening fraud monitoring, improving identity management within the financial system and safeguarding the integrity of banking transactions, by strengthening identity verification and ensuring that BVN registration aligns with legally recognised age thresholds.
Thus, under the revised BVN framework, the apex bank introduced a stricter age requirement for BVN enrolment, limiting registration to 18-year-old individuals and above.
Also, under the new framework, customers will only be allowed to change the phone number associated with their BVN once. The CBN further stated: “Under the new guidelines, financial institutions are required to establish and maintain a temporary watch-list for BVNs linked to suspected fraudulent transactions reported within the banking system.
“A BVN may remain on this temporary Watch-list for a maximum period of twentyfour (24) hours, during which the BVN owner shall be contacted to provide clarification regarding the identified transaction(s).”
Launched on February 14, 2014, by the CBN in collaboration with the Bankers’ Committee, the NIBSS, and the German firm Dermalog, the BVN scheme was designed to capture the biometrics of all bank customers and provide each with a unique 11-digit identification number that can be verified across the Nigerian banking industry.
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reaffirmed that the standard N100 banknote remains legal tender across the country, warning that its rejection by individuals, businesses and institutions violates the law.
The clarification follows reports that some members of the public have refused to accept the standard N100 note over concerns about its legal tender status following the introduction of the commemorative N100 banknote issued to mark Nigeria’s centenary.
In a statement signed by Mrs. Hakama Sidi-Ali, acting director of Corporate Communications, the apex bank stressed that “both the commemorative N100 banknote and the standard N100 banknote are valid legal tender and must be accepted for all transactions nationwide.”
The CBN explained that the commemorative N100 note was introduced to celebrate Nigeria’s centenary and did not replace the existing standard N100 banknote.
The CBN cautioned individuals, businesses, financial institutions and other economic agents against rejecting the standard N100 note, noting that such action contravenes the provisions of the CBN Act and undermines public confidence in the national currency.
It warned that appropriate enforcement measures would be taken against any person or organisation found violating the law.
The apex bank reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the integrity of the naira, maintaining confidence in all duly issued banknotes and ensuring the smooth circulation of currency across the country.
The CBN also urged members of the public to continue accepting and transacting with all banknotes legally issued by the Bank and advised anyone seeking further clarification to use its official communication channels.
FCMB Asset Management Limited (FCMBAM), the asset management arm of FCMB Group Plc, has received an upgrade to its national scale long-term and short-term issuer ratings of A(NG) and A1(NG), from A-(NG) and A2(NG), by GCR Ratings, a leading pan-African credit rating agency.
The outlook on the ratings remains stable, said the rating agency.
The upgrade is anchored on FCMBAM’s competitive resilience and financial discipline, alongside the strengthened credit profile of FCMB Group.
GCR highlighted FCMBAM’s decade-long track record of strong performance, well-established brand franchise, diversified product suite and robust distribution network as key drivers of its standalone strength.
These are further supported by consistent earnings growth and a disciplined, unleveraged balance sheet, it said.
According to GCR, FCMBAM’s competitive position is supported by “its relatively long track record, strong brand franchise, established product and geographical distribution network and cross-selling opportunities,” with the rating agency noting that FCMBAM ranks among the top five asset managers in Nigeria, with an estimated five per cent share of a fragmented market as of 31 December.
The Company’s financial performance underpinned the upgrade, with revenue growing by 30 per cent and operating cash flow increasing by 13 per cent, enabling the business to be fully funded without recourse to debt.
Liquidity strengthened further, with liquidity sources versus uses improving to 5x as of December 2025, from 3.6x a year earlier, while the EBITDA margin edged up to over 58 per cent.
Commenting on the upgrade, the Chief Executive Officer of FCMB Asset Management, James Ilori, said: “This upgrade is an important external validation of a strategy we have pursued with discipline over many years: building an investment franchise that performs reliably, governs itself rigorously, and earns trust in every market cycle. It speaks to the strength of our membership of FCMB Group and to a culture that holds itself to local and global standards of risk management and capital stewardship.
“As Nigeria’s asset management industry enters a new era of higher capital thresholds and rising investor expectations, we intend to lead from the front – ahead of regulatory timelines, ahead in digital transformation and ahead in the outcomes we deliver for the clients who trust us to assist them in achieving their investment objectives.”
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