EFCC arrests bankers for allegedly stealing from the account of a deceased customer (photos)

The Uyo Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, has arrested a suspected criminal syndicate of bankers that
allegedly specialize in forging signatures of deceased bank customers,
and stealing from their accounts.

According to the EFCC, the suspects also execute fraudulent financial
transactions, including unauthorised debits of depositors’ funds.

A statement from the antigraft agency said the members of the
criminal syndicate, which include, Mbong Essien, Akwa Akwa, Precious
John, Kenneth Udoetuk and Ubong Udom before Justice Archibong Archibong
were on Monday, March 2nd 2020, arraigned before Justice Archibong
Archibong of the Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo, on a
23-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, obtaining by false
pretence and criminal conversion of depositors’ funds to the tune of
N37,690,000 (Thirty-seven million, Six hundred and ninety thousand
naira).

The management of Fidelity Bank Plc, Abak Road branch in Uyo and 72
of the bank customers had in a petition dated December 9, 2019, alerted
the Commission of suspicious withdrawals from customers’ accounts,
including that of a deceased customer.

Investigation by the EFCC revealed that Mbong used his position as
the Head of Operations and Transaction Service and Delivery, to establis
a criminal syndicate that specialized in perpetrating the fraudulent
transactions and deductions.

Further investigations also showed that without the authorization or
knowledge of the management of the bank, the defendants allegedly
managed a fictitious fixed deposit account with interest accruing to it.

One of the charges reads: “Mbong Emmanuel Essien ‘M’,
Ubong Godwin Udom ‘M’ and Akwa Ephraim Akwa ‘M’ being staff of Fidelity
Bank Plc, Abak Road branch, sometime in June 2019 at Uyo within the
jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did steal the sum of
N10,000,000.00 (Ten million naira) only, from the Fidelity Bank account
of Arit Jeremiah Eshiet, which proceeds you fraudulently converted to
your personal use and thereby committed an offence.”

The offence is contrary to Section 392 (1) and punishable under
Section 399 of the Criminal Code CAP 38 Vol. II Laws of Akwa Ibom State
of Nigeria 1999.

They pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.

In view of their pleas, counsel for the EFCC, Nwandu K. Ukoha, prayed
the court for a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded in the
custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

The matter was thereafter adjourned to June 1st, 2nd, and 3rd 2020,
for hearing, while the defendants were remanded in the custody of the
Nigerian Correctional Service, pending the hearing of their bail
applications.