Udokanma Okonjo challenges ruling on payment of $97,982 to Providus Bank

Udokanma Okonjo, managing director and chief executive officer of Fine & Country West Africa, has filed an appeal challenging the judgment of a federal high court directing her to pay Providus Bank Plc the sum of $97,982.19.

Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, federal high court judge, held that Okonjo fully utilised an overdraft facility linked to her World Elite Card.

The suit, FHC/L/CS/901/2025, filed by Providus Bank, centred on whether the defendant accepted and utilised an overdraft facility under the account-opening terms and whether the bank was entitled to recover the outstanding balance with interest.

The court upheld the bank’s claim of indebtedness but described the 26 percent interest rate sought as excessive, reducing it to 10 percent per annum until the debt is fully liquidated.

However, in a statement, Sunny Omoragbon, Okonjo’s counsel, faulted claims by Providus Bank that his client owes the bank $97,000 in unpaid overdraft, describing the allegation as “false, unsubstantiated, and a gross violation of due process”.

According to Omoragbon, the case, currently on appeal, arose from the bank’s unilateral re-classification of a debit-card account as a credit facility, without consent, agreement, or documentation.

“Mrs Okonjo never requested, negotiated, or signed for any overdraft facility. The so-called debt is a construct of arbitrary charges imposed without contractual authority or transparency,” the lawyer said.

He further claimed that more than 70 percent of the disputed amount comprises unapproved interest and charges. He also stated that a motion for stay of execution has already been filed pending hearing on October 28, 2025.

Beyond the financial dispute, Omoragbon condemned what he described as “the pattern of harassment and unprofessional communication from bank officials”, citing multiple threatening WhatsApp messages from a Providus Bank staffer.

Prior to the alleged threats, the lawyer stated that his client had submitted a formal written request for clarification, dated March 18, 2024, in which she asked the bank to provide documentation, transaction history, and contract evidence for a debt she did not recognise.

“A customer has the right to seek clarification,” he said.

“To weaponise such a request with threats of public embarrassment is unethical and unacceptable in any financial system.”

Omoragbon also noted correspondence from the same bank official admitting that “you do not have corresponding amount in your account”, and that at other times the account officer suggested that funds were paid into Okonjo’s account by Walter Akpani, the managing director, or other bank staff, a practice he described as irregular and confusing.

He said the defence will pursue redress not only through the courts but also through petitions to the Central Bank of Nigeria, Consumer Protection Council, and other regulatory bodies, urging a thorough review of the bank’s handling of customer accounts and communications.