The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has ordered a new generation bank to pay N540,500,000.00 in damages to a preacher, Emmanuel Omal of the Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministry, and his wife, Deborah, over false claim that he laundered N573 million for a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu.

In a judgment yesterday, Justice Yusuf Halilu held that the bank recklessly breached the duty of care it owed to the claimants – Omale, his wife and their church.

The judgment was on a suit filed by Omale, his wife and the church.

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During the investigation of Magu by the Justice Isa Salami-led presidential investigation panel, it was said that an investigation by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) revealed that the ex-EFCC chairman paid N573 million into Omale’s church’s account with which a property was allegedly bought in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Justice Halilu held that the evidence before his court showed that the bank admitted error in its report, to the NFIU, and of entries in Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministry’s account.

The judge also held that the bank claimed that the purported N573 million was wrongly reflected as credit entry in Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministry’s account by its reporting system, which it recently upgraded.

He added that the bank admitted the error, which caused what it called incalculable damage to the reputation of the claimants within and outside the country.

According to him, the claimants provided sufficient evidence to establish a case of negligence against the bank.

Justice Halilu awarded N200 million as aggravated damages; N140,500,000 as specific damages and N200 million as general damages.