If Obi received a cheque from Mr. Ade and it was stolen, the appropriate course of action would be to inform Mr. Ade to tell his bank to stop payment on the cheque. Here’s why:
1. Informing Mr. Ade: Obi should immediately inform Mr. Ade because the cheque belongs to Mr. Ade and he is the one who can authorize the bank to stop payment. The cheque is drawn from Mr. Ade's account, so his bank is the one that needs to be notified to prevent the cheque from being cashed by an unauthorized party.
2. Stopping Payment: By stopping the payment, Mr. Ade ensures that if someone tries to cash or deposit the stolen cheque, the bank will reject it, thus preventing any unauthorized withdrawal of funds from Mr. Ade's account.
3. Legality and Authorization: Obi cannot directly stop payment with Mr. Ade's bank because he is not the account holder, and the bank will not act on Obi’s request without Mr. Ade's authorization.
4. Request for Replacement: Once Mr. Ade has successfully stopped payment on the stolen cheque, Obi can politely request Mr. Ade for a replacement cheque, assuming the situation is amicable and Mr. Ade is willing to issue another cheque.
In summary, the first step is to inform Mr. Ade so he can take the necessary action with his bank.