The businessman, however, said that on November 9, 2017, he filed a motion on notice at the Court of Appeal in Lagos, challenging the judgment of the lower court with Appeal No.CA/L/1009M/15.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Ondo-based businessman, Pastor Babatunde Adebayo, has raised the alarm over the threat to his life by some faceless people who called him with foreign-like telephone numbers and sent messages threatening to eliminate him.
Adebayo, who is the Managing Director of Holyview Investment International Limited, stated this on Monday while addressing some journalists in Akure, Ondo State capital.
Adebayo explained how he narrowly escaped from some men in an unmarked vehicle who trailed him to his church.
He called on all security agencies in the state to come to his rescue as the callers were threatening him to vacate his landed property located at Plot 1-18, Alagbaka Extension II, Akure, and his office property at Oke Emeso Street, Akure, Ondo State.
One of the messages sent on his mobile set reads: “You are joking with ur life & ur business but you don’t know. Very soon we shall see if the police, DSS & soldiers can protect you in this Akure.”
When asked why he could be the target of his tormentors, the businessman, who deals in computer hardware and software, said he could not figure out who was after his life.
He, however, disclosed that he had a matter pending at the appellate court in Lagos which has to do with a sum of N30 million loan he got from FundQuest Financial Services Limited to fund a contract award.
According to the businessman, the financial institution got a ruling against him, his company, and the Guarantor, Pastor Samson Oluwamodede, General Overseer of Prayer Centre, Akure through who he was introduced to the financial institution for the loan.
Failing to fully pay back the loan due to the inability of the awarding bank to credit his account with the sum of N113,600,000.00 (80% of the contract value) FundQuest therefore, on October 15, 2014, dragged him, his company, and his guarantor to court, demanding repayment of N88, 721, 137.66 being over 190 per cent (190%) interest rate per annum as against the agreed 30% interest rate per annum.
In Suit No: LD/7382/14, on July 2, 2015, Justice O.A. Williams of the High Court of Lagos State in the Lagos Judicial Division, Fast Track Commercial Revenue and Mortgage Division, Court No 22, Igbosere, Lagos, ruled in favour of the finance company despite the contentious interest rate.
Subsequently, an enrolment of order was filed by the finance company praying the court to grant it garnishee for payment of N117, 132, 486.21 by Holyview Investment International Limited, which was granted by the same judge, Justice O. A. Williams, on 17th day November 2015 bringing the interest rate to over 270 per cent (270%) per annum in just 18 months.
Adebayo noted that the restructuring paper on the N34,132,748 dated June 28, 2013, and presented before the court by the finance company, which was hiked to N117, 132, 486.21, on 90 per cent interest rate contrary to the original 30 per cent, was neither signed by him nor his guarantor, yet the court ruled on its paper.
The businessman, however, said that on November 9, 2017, he filed a motion on notice at the Court of Appeal in Lagos, challenging the judgment of the lower court with Appeal No.CA/L/1009M/15.
