3 Bank Officials Docked

Detectives at the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Panti, Yaba, Lagos, South West Nigeria, have arraigned three officials of the United Bank for Africa, Bode Thomas branch, before an Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrate’s Court, Lagos State, for assault and theft.

The three officials, Babatunde Adewole, 32, Operations Manager; Adedayo Ayanwale, 32, Relationship Manager and Sunday Awoniyi, 23, Credit Control Officer, were alleged to have assaulted Mrs. Bolanle Akinlabi, who had approached the bank for a credit facility on 25 November, 2010.

The police in their report alleged that after the three bank officials had dealt with the customer, they called in mobile policemen attached to the bank to drag her out the of the bank premises.

The aggrieved customer reported the assault to the state Commissioner of Police who transferred the matter to the State Criminal Investigation Department, where the bank officials were interrogated.

They were later arraigned before the court on a four-count charge of conspiracy, stealing, malicious damage and assault, which the prosecuting police officer, Inspector Moses Uademevbo, claimed were punishable under sections 516, 351, 390 (9), 451, of the Criminal Code, Cap. C.17, Vol. II, Laws of Lagos State Of Nigeria, 2003.

Count two of the charges reads: “That you, Babatunde Adewole, Adedayo Ayanwale, Sunday Awoniyi and others still at large on 25 November, 2010 at UBA, Bode Thomas Branch, Lagos State in the Lagos Magisterial District, did assault one Mrs. Bolanle Akinlabi by giving her blows all over her body and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 351 of the Criminal Code, Cap.C.17, Vol. II, Laws of Lagos State Of Nigeria, 2003.”

Count three of the charges reads: “That you, Babatunde Adewole, Adedayo, Ayanwale, Sunday Awoniyi and others still at large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned magisterial district did steal 1,500 Pound Sterling, N77,000, jewellery, value not yet known, a pair of shoes and other vital documents, property of one Mrs. Bolanle Akinlabi and thereby commited an offence punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap.C.17, Vol. II, Laws of Lagos State Of Nigeria, 2003.”

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges and were admitted on bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety each by the presiding magistrate, Mrs. M.O. Olajuwon.

The case has been adjourned till 12 April, 2011, for trial.

—Paul Sanusi/Abosede Agboola