Sulayman, the Claimant, is a businesswoman running a chain of businesses in Ogun, Osun, Oyo and Lagos States.
She said she was offered a dealership of one of the Defendant’s filling stations at Apomu, Osun State on June 4, 2012, which she accepted by signing the appropriate section of the Offer Letter.
The offer required a deposit of N1.5 million as a non-interest yielding security for the dealership.
She noted that Conoil terminated the Dealership agreement with her on January 14, 2019 but refused to refund her security deposit of N1.5 million.
She stated that despite writing several letters to the petroleum marketing company on different occasions and instructing her solicitors to write on her behalf, there has not been any response from them.
Sulayman, through her lawyers, Ibrahim Lawal, Akinyemi Akintola and Akingbade Ogunmoyela, urged the court that the N1.5 million being the refundable security deposit paid to the Defendant (Conoil) by her pursuant to the Dealership offer be paid back.
Her lawyers also asked the court to award 10 per cent interest on the initial refundable security deposit of the N1.5 million as a pre-judgement interest and another 10 per cent interest on the judgement sum being post-judgement interest against the Defendant and in favour of the Claimant.
Sulayman also stated that she has lost many other business opportunities which she intended to use the said security deposit for.
She added that one of such businesses was an offer of distributorship by CWAY Nigeria Drinking Water Science and Technology Company Limited as she was required to pay for a certain number of cartons, but could not meet up because the funds she intended to use was not refunded by the Defendant (Conoil).
Efforts in the past by The Eagle Online to speak with the company were not attended to.
Calls, mails text and WhatsApp messages to the company were ignored by the staff concerned and contacted.