The police in Lagos have arrested an
ex-manager of Ecobank Nigeria Plc, Ejigbo branch, 41-year-old Ikechukwu
Aghanenu, for allegedly colluding with a suspected fraudster, Anthony
Okpala, to defraud two customers of the bank of N14m.
The customers are Mrs. Oluremi Egunjobi (now late), and one Rabiu Lawal, who is based in the United Kingdom.
The suspects, who were arrested on
Wednesday, reportedly diverted N4.014m from the deceased’s bank account
5323007058, while N10m was said to have been fraudulently withdrawn from
Lawal’s account, 2741128259.
It was learnt that
34-year-old Okpala and one other suspect at large, had presented
themselves to Aghanenu as the relatives of the deceased with some forged
documents authorising the bank to release the sum.
It was gathered that the deal was
perfected between September and November, 2015 and the money was
withdrawn from late Egunjobi’s account.
Within the same period, the police said
Okpala paraded himself as a business partner of Lawal and allegedly
colluded with Aghanenu to withdraw N10m from Lawal’s account in
tranches.
A police source said, investigation of the alleged fraud commenced after a lawyer to the
deceased’s relatives and Lawal respectively lodged complaints to the
bank, adding that the manager had been sacked.
The source said, “The bank reported the
fraud to the police and in the course of investigation, it was
discovered that the fraudulent transactions were carried out by Okpala
with the knowledge of the ex-manager and others at large.
“Okpala presented himself and another
suspect at the Ecobank’s branch in Ejigbo as relatives of the late
Oluremi (Egunjobi) and instructed the bank to liquidate her account,
which was done through the help of the ex-manager. But he (Aghanenu)
denied knowing Okpala.
“The other victim, Lawal, works in UK
and saves money at the bank with the hope of using the money to invest
when he relocates to Nigeria. It was when he checked his account balance
that he discovered the withdrawals and complained to the bank.”
Policemen from the Ikoyi division led by one Sergeant Damian Oguinye,
picked up Aghanenu and Okpala on Wednesday at the Ebute-Meta
Magistrate’s Court, where the latter was allegedly facing another fraud
trial.
They were arraigned in an Igbosere
Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on five counts bordering on fraud and
forgery by a police prosecutor, Friday Mameh.
Mameh told the court that the offences contravened sections 287, 361, 409 and 378 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The counts read in part, “That you,
Ikechukwu Aghanenu, Anthony Okpala and others now at large, between
September 2015 and November 2015, at the Ecobank Nigeria Plc, in the
Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire among yourselves to commit
felony to wit: forgery and stealing.
“That you did forge the instruction of
one Oluremi Egunjobi, a deceased and an account holder of Ecobank
Nigeria Plc, fraudulently liquidated the customer’s investment in
account number 5323007058 of the sum of N4.014m property of Ecobank
Nigeria Plc.
“That you, and others at large, did
fraudulently convert the sum of N10m in tranches from Ecobank account
number 2741128259 belonging to Rabiu Lawal to account number 53220002455
with the name Okeneme Samuel.”
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the counts before the magistrate, Mr. P. A. Adekomaya.
They were granted bail in the sum of N3m
each with two sureties each in like sum while the case was adjourned
till September 6, 2016.
Ex EcoBank manager, accomplice divert two customers’ N14m
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