UNITY BANK PLC V. MALLAM ABDUL ONYE MRS. DIANA AMOS MISS. ASABE GAGARA MR. ZINAS ALBERT DEMSA MRS. JUSTINA TALLA

BULKACHUWA JCA (Delivering the Lead Judgment): The respondents were former staff of the Federal College of Education, Yola,

Adamawa State, who lost their jobs due to the reorganization exercise carried out by the college. Their terminal benefits were calculated and computed, and the appellant bank was appointed by the office of the Accountant- General of the Federation as one of the banks through which these benefits would be paid. The respondents lodged their cheques with the appellant bank and made withdrawals from their respective accounts. The office ofthe Accountant-General of the Federation then wrote the clearing banks including the appellant bank, that the terminal benefits of the respondents as paid into the bank were wrongly calculated and issued a stop order on the bank until the differences could be sorted out. The appellant bank stopped payment on the respondents’ accounts with them. The respondents, being aggrieved with the action of the appellant bank, took out individ…