JUST IN: Appeal Court Upholds N85m Award Against Zenith Bank Over Account Freeze
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld an N85 million award against Zenith Bank Plc and the Nigeria Police Force over the unlawful freezing of a law firm’s bank account.
The appellate court, in a unanimous judgment delivered on Monday, dismissed Zenith Bank’s appeal, holding that the challenge to the earlier judgment lacked merit.
The National Lens reports that the decision affirmed the judgment of the Federal Capital Territory High Court delivered on July 16, 2025, which awarded N60 million in general damages and N25 million as costs against the bank and the police, jointly and severally.
The case arose after the account belonging to Abhulimen & Co, a law firm, was frozen in 2024 following an order obtained by the Nigeria Police Force from a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Mararaba Gurku, Nasarawa State.
The law firm subsequently challenged the restriction, arguing that the account had been frozen without a valid legal basis.
In the judgment that has now been affirmed by the Court of Appeal, the FCT High Court found that the magistrate’s court lacked the requisite territorial and substantive jurisdiction to issue the order used to freeze the account.
The dispute was registered at the appellate court as Appeal No. CA/ABJ/CV/1335/2025.
The Court of Appeal panel, led by Justice Adebukola Banjoko, rejected Zenith Bank’s challenge and effectively left the N85 million award intact.
The ruling reinforces the requirement for financial institutions and law-enforcement agencies to operate within the limits of lawful judicial orders when restricting access to customers’ bank accounts.
The case also highlights the potential financial consequences that may arise when banking restrictions are imposed on the basis of defective or invalid court processes.
With the Court of Appeal’s decision, the earlier award of N60 million in general damages and N25 million in costs remains enforceable against Zenith Bank and the Nigeria Police Force.
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