Bank Credits Driver’s Account With N1billion

…strangely, it is reluctant to correct ‘mistake’

*Bank’s agents threaten beneficiary

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has waded into the N1billion fraud that took place at the Area 3 branch of a mega bank (name withheld by us), according to an online news site 247ureports. In a petition to the anti- graft commission, Mr. Peter Ujah, a contract staff with the bank, gave a graphic account of how the management of the bank, in 2009, credited his account with N1,000,000,000,00 (One billion) domiciled at its Area 3 branch, Abuja. The transactions and subsequent moves by the management have all the complexion of fraud and internal manipulations. In the petition addressed to the Chairman of EFCC, dated September, 30, 2013, Ujah, claimed he was employed by Norwood Executive Drivers on October 10, 2009 and contracted to the Management of the bank and attached to the e-banking section, at Area 3, Abuja. Trouble, however, started for Mr. Ujah, when according to his petition to EFCC, “On January 3, 2011, I received an alert on my mobile phone that one billion Naira had been paid into my account No 02680600005153, at Area 3 branch of the bank,” he stated. Ujah further stated in his petition that “subsequently, following this strange but deliberate transactions by the management, I reported to the Customer service, same day from where I was referred to Madam Imeh, the Branch Manager in charge of Area 3, who later directed me to Isaac Peter, the Business Administration Officer who again told me it was beyond him and directed me to Mr. Shina, an Account officer at the Garki Corporate service office of the bank. “Mr. Shina, in a move that smacked of delay to enable the management complete the internal manipulation which the bank is known for, told me he will get back to me.” Indeed, if Ujah, the embattled driver was expecting any respite, it came in form of an invitation to a meeting with a crack management staff of the bank, led by Chike Mofunanya, the supervisor e- banking and Kayode Ajangbadi, the Head of Human Resources. “Other staff at the meeting include Mrs. Naomi, the Branch Manager and John Edibo, Head of Posting at Area 3 and other management staff from other branches within Abuja, in attendance.” According to Ujah, “I was later made to understand that the meeting was a disciplinary committee meeting. Curiously, the disciplinary committee/Panel requested me to write a statement on how the money got into my account, the panel however, changed its decision, that I should give an oral statement while a secretary was appointed to take notes. “While this was going on, my account was frozen by the management, worried by this development, as I could not access my salary and my savings, without any explanations or query, but was just left hanging in the bank for some months without been sacked, I discussed the matter with one of my cousins, Gabriel Igoche, then a staff of Chevron Texaco, Abuja, who said he will help me through one Adamu, who he claimed is a staff of EFCC. “Adamu who I could not establish his identity, through Igoche, directed me to leave the office on a particular date, as the EFCC officials were coming to carry out arrest of some staff within the bank. “I was later told the Said Adamu, the EFCC officer, who I only spoke with on his GSM (number withheld by us), later led a team of EFCC officials to arrest Mr. Edibo, Head of Posting, the investigation officer, internal control, from Adetokumbo Ademola, Abuja, branch of the bank, and the Assistant branch manager, Ambrose Ondoma, from Area 3.” According to Mr. Ujah, in his petition, the EFCC team led by Adamu claimed the staff arrested was released the following day. “But as a complainant, I was never and up till now invited,” he said. According to the online site, its investigations at the EFCC office showed that the fraud was never reported at the Commission, before the September, 30 2013 petition by Ujah, to the commission. But curiously in November, 2012, after the purported arrest and detentions, the Management of the bank again invited Ujah, to another meeting at its Maitama branch. “I was asked the similar question of how the money got into my account and the date of my appointment, after the explanations, I was asked to return back to my duty post at Area 3. Since then I have been in the office, without salary, until July23, 2013 when I formally wrote to my employers, Norwood Executive Drivers to inform them of my plight, the management in a response expressed shock over the development, after my meeting with them at Maitama, in Abuja and promised to get back to me” “This twenty-two months, after I have neither been queried nor terminated because from all indications, Norwood still receives their monthly deductions from my salary, because the staff insurance initiative by the bank, domiciled at the IBTC, which I am a beneficiary, still sends me alert” Ujah claimed in his petition, that he has been receiving threat messages and phone calls from those he suspected were agents of the bank warning him of the implications of crying out loud.