The
Edo State House of Assembly is considering a legal action after it
received a petition alleging that a popular bank’s ATM machine was
dispensing fake Naira notes.
Charles Ajiboye, a federal civil servant in Edo State, has
petitioned Edo State House of Assembly, alleging that the Automated
Teller Machine, ATM, of a new generation bank in Benin, was dispensing
fake Naira notes.
According to the petition, which was read during the House’s
proceedings yesterday by the Clerk of the House, Mr. James Omoataman,
the petitioner said he used the ATM close to Oba Market.
“Sir, to my ruddiest shock, on presenting N3,000 for payment
after buying some food items, the seller observed that one of the notes
was fake”, it read.
“I immediately went back to the bank and accosted some security
men on duty who blatantly told me to go away as there was nothing they
could do, that I would not be the first person to withdraw a fake note
from an ATM in Nigeria.
“Irked by this response, I went to Oba Market Police Station,
where I formally reported the matter. The bank’s act, for dispensing
fake Naira notes via its ATM, is a crime – short and simple.
“I may not be the first person to have fallen victim of this
crime by the bank. Perhaps, other victims may have considered fake notes
so insignificant to belabour themselves over.
“Arising from the above, it is my belief that if this practice
is not checked by appropriate sanctions, including sanctions by the
supervising bank, the CBN, there are tendencies that fake Naira notes
will continue to be dispensed alongside genuine bank notes by the bank.
“I, therefore, seek the intervention of the Edo State House of
Assembly by investigating the matter with a view to recommending
appropriate sanctions on the bank to serve as deterrence to other
banks.”
Speaker of the House, Alhaji Kabiru Adjoto, referred the matter to
the House Committee on Finance to investigate and report to the House
within two weeks.