By SHEDRACK FRANK

State High Court 14 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, has adjourned the case between Maize Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (MAGPMAN) Bayelsa Chapter, and Eco Bank Plc to October 10, 2025.

The farmers alleged that the bank made unauthorized withdrawals from their accounts, leading to financial losses for them.

The farmers are seeking redress for the alleged financial malfeasance.

The aggrieved farmers are seeking legal redress from Ecobank over the bank’s unsatisfactory handling of their accounts which exposed them to avoidable risks and losses.

When the case came up for pretrial hearing, the claimant’s Counsel Seimiekumo Avery, told the court that they have tried to go for arbitration but that Ecobank refused.

The court presided over by Justice Amaebi Orukari, asked them to file for extra witnesses, so that in the next hearing the defendant can also respond and in the next adjournment, he can give accelerated hearing.

The judge requested to meet both parties in private in the judge’s chambers for discussions.

The judge thereafter adjourned the case until October 10, 2025.

According to the court summons document sighted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the farmers accounts domiciled with the Bank on the Anchor Borrower Programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria was run in breach of the CBN’s rules for the scheme.

The maize farmers are seeking a cumulative general and punitive damage of N68 billion.

MAGPMAN Bayelsa state chapter in their grouse before the court, lamented that the fraud allegedly perpetrated by the commercial bank has left them with no choice than to seek redress, since the bank (Ecobank) “refuse to listen to us in a way we will have resolved the issue.”

Under the scheme, each of the 894 members of the group will get N182,461.02 and is expected to pay back N198,862.04 at the end of the loan tenor, but Ecobank as we speak, is even deducting N400,000, N300,000 and N205,000 as the case may be from the poor farmers. (NAN)