13th January, 2014
Operatives of the Special Fraud Unit, SFU, of the Nigeria Police, Milverton Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, western Nigeria, have arrested five customers of Sterling Bank in Lagos for allegedly fraudulently withdrawing the sum of N760 million from the bank.
Ten others involved in the alleged electronic fraud are said to be at large. They were alleged to have perpetrated the fraud in 2013 at the bank’s branches on Ring Road, Ibadan, Oyo State; Refinery Road, Kaduna State; Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos; and Marina Street, Lagos Island in connivance with some staff of the bank.
The police identified the arrested suspects as Kayode Ojo Rotimi, 23, Samson Oluwafemi, 32, Adeniyi Ishola David, 40, Adindu Precious, 40, and Iparo Olabode, 19.
After investigation, all the suspects were charged before an Igbosere magistrate’s court, Lagos on a nine-count charge of obtaining money under false statement and fraudulent conversion.
Other suspects now at large, according to the police, are: Fabusoro Samuel Toyin, Goodluck Shehu, Briska Joel, Onifade Funsho, Mohammed Musa, Wale Arowasegbe, Awojola Tunde, Leye Baruwa, Babajide Aina and a woman Busayo Adesokan.
The police prosecutor, Supol. Emerho Frank told the court that the five accused persons conspired with ten others by fraudulently using the passwords and users’ profiles of some staff of the bank to withdraw the N760 million from the bank’s accounts.
They allegedly withdrew the money from the account of the funds authorising officer of the bank, John Ogun, and account of the fund transfer officer of the bank,Ogwunighie Anthonia, and transferred same to different accounts of the bank’s branches without the bank staff’s knowledge.
The accused allegedly withdrew the money later and shared it among themselves.
Frank told the court that the accused were arrested in Lagos, Ibadan and Kaduna following a written complaint by the management of the bank to the commissioner of police in charge of SFU Lagos, CP Tunde Ogunsakin.
Frank said that during interrogation, all the suspects allegedly confessed to the crime.
He said the offence the accused committed contravened sections 409, 312(1)(2)(3), 278 and 285 of the criminal laws of Lagos State, 2011.
All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the crime in the open court, and the presiding Chief Magistrate, Mrs. A. O. Adedayo, admitted them on bail in the sum N10 million each with two sureties in like sum.
The sureties must show evidence of 3 years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
She adjourned the matter till 17 February, 2014 for mention.
All the defendants were, however, taken to Ikoyi Prisons pending when they will fulfil the bail conditions.
—Paul Iyoghojie