Parallex Bank Limited has asked the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, to dismiss a suit filed against it by FHT Mega Express Limited, describing the action as incompetent, an abuse of court process, and lacking jurisdiction.
The request is contained in a preliminary objection filed by the bank before the court, urging it to strike out the suit instituted by FHT Mega Express in connection with a financial dispute between both parties.
It would be recalled that the FCT High Court, presided over by Justice Hauwa Lawal Gummi, had on December 18, 2025, granted an ex-parte motion filed by FHT Mega Express, issuing a temporary order freezing the bank’s funds in a sum put at over ₦7 billion, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
In challenging the ex-parte order and urging the court to dismiss the case, Parallex Bank averred in an affidavit in support of its preliminary objection that the action constituted “a clear abuse of court process.”
The affidavit was deposed to by a manager of the bank, Mrs. Cynthia Akunaeziri, who stated that the issues raised by FHT Mega Express were already the subject of an earlier suit before the Federal High Court.
According to the bank, by a Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim dated September 4, 2025, it had earlier instituted Suit No: FHC/L/CS/1774/2025 before the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, against FHT Mega Express Limited and four others.
In that suit, Parallex Bank, as plaintiff, is seeking judgment in the sum of ₦4.5 billion, being the alleged outstanding indebtedness of FHT Mega Express arising from certain Letters of Credit opened in the firm’s favour by the bank.
The bank explained that the Federal High Court suit also seeks orders to protect its banker’s lien over goods relating to the transactions and leave of court to dispose of the said goods towards the liquidation of the alleged debt.
Parallex Bank contended that instead of allowing the Federal High Court to determine the issue of the alleged indebtedness, FHT Mega Express embarked on what it described as “a series of actions aimed at harassing the bank and frustrating the recovery of the debt.”
The bank further averred that FHT Mega Express failed to disclose to the FCT High Court the pendency of the earlier suit at the Federal High Court, Lagos, where an order directing the parties to maintain the status quo was already in force.
According to Parallex Bank, this non-disclosure amounted to “a suppression of material facts,” which the firm said was capable of misleading the court in the exercise of its discretion.
In its court processes, the bank also alleged that prior to approaching the FCT High Court, FHT Mega Express had attempted to obtain a similar ex-parte order attaching the bank’s funds before the Lagos State High Court in Suit No: LD/ADR/6143/2025.
The bank stated that the Lagos State High Court, presided over by Justice A.T. Muyideen, declined to grant the ex-parte application and instead directed FHT Mega Express to put the bank on notice.
Parallex Bank further stated that it had filed preliminary objections challenging the jurisdiction of the Lagos State High Court in the matter, following which FHT Mega Express discontinued the suit.
According to the bank, after withdrawing the Lagos suit, the firm subsequently approached the FCT High Court, Abuja, to file a similar action, allegedly without disclosing the existence and withdrawal of the earlier suit or its failed attempt to secure ex-parte reliefs in Lagos.
Parallex Bank argued that this alleged suppression of material facts misled the FCT High Court into granting the ex-parte orders sought by FHT Mega Express, thereby exposing the parties and courts of coordinate jurisdiction to the risk of conflicting decisions.
In a counter-affidavit filed in opposition to the suit, the bank maintained that the action was deliberately commenced immediately after the withdrawal of Suit No: LD/ADR/6143/2025 “for the purpose of re-litigating the same issues and securing reliefs previously refused by another court.”
The bank described the conduct as “a gross abuse of court process” and urged the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety.
Parallex Bank further argued that the interest of justice would be better served by allowing the Federal High Court, Lagos, which was first seised of the matter, to determine the dispute between the parties.
The case has been adjourned to February 4, 2026, for the hearing of the preliminary objection.
Parallex Bank stated that it remains determined to recover the alleged outstanding sum of ₦4.5 billion from FHT Mega Express Limited, which it accused of resorting to multiple court actions in an attempt to delay payment of the debt.
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