Description

The Appellant, a private legal practitioner in Nigeria and Ghana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and the Pastor in charge of Province 2 of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, maintained an account with the 1st Respondent, Barclays Bank Plc, through the 2nd Respondent, its Lagos representative, although the account was domiciled in England. He contended that he was never informed, either verbally or in writing, that cheques issued on the account required prior written confirmation before they would be honoured. His complaint arose from the repeated dishonour of several cheques issued between 2006 and 2009 despite the availability of sufficient funds and, in some instances, despite his written or personal confirmation of the transactions. He pleaded that the dishonoured cheques, issued to business associates and the Redeemed Christian Church of God, portrayed him as a criminal and a crook who was not to be trusted, resulting in embarrassment, reputational damage, and expressions of disappointment from the beneficiaries. He also relied on several correspondences exchanged between himself and the Respondents, including a letter from the Respondents advising him to confirm all future cheques or transfer instructions through their Lagos Representative Office.