Tony Chukwunyem 
Citing the order of Justice Saliu Saidu of the Federal High Court, Lagos, the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) yesterday said it had taken over assets belonging to Ike Nwabuoku, the Chief Promoter of Unicorn Place & Leisure Services Limited over an indebtedness of over N1.3 billion.
In a statement made available to journalists, the corporation said: “In compliance to the enforcement order, AMCON on Thursday June 25, 2020 took effective possession of the two properties through its Debt Recovery Agent – Kayode Ajekigbe of Chris O. Okunowo & Co, which include properties situate at 1 & 2, Kwara Street, Osborne, Ikoyi, Lagos and Plot 23 Block 65, Lekki Peninsula Residential Scheme, both in Lagos State.” According to AMCON, the Court also ordered that the Bank Accounts of the company and its major stakeholders, Ike Nwabuoku and one other Ifechukwu A. Onyema be frozen pending the final determination of the Suit.
Noting that Unicorn Place & Leisure Services Limited and its promoters’ debt was purchased by AMCON during the 1st phase of its Eligible Bank Assets (EBA) purchases from Keystone Bank since 2011, the corporation said that despite offering Ike Nwabuoku all sorts of concessions and avenues to resolve the debt harmoniously , he and his company Unicorn Place & Leisure Services Limited remained recalcitrant. Confirming that AMCON had enforced on the assets and frozen the accounts in line with the order of the court, the Head, Corporate Communications Department of the Corporation, Mr. Jude Nwauzor, said all avenues of peaceful resolution were explored to no avail before AMCON made the hard decision, which led to the eventual takeover of the assets.
