N30 million fraud: FCMB moves to settle customer

Customer is an ex-police officer

The Special Fraud Unit, SFU, on Thursday, asked a Federal High Court, Lagos, to adjourn a N30 million fraud suit against First City Monument Bank Plc, FCMB.

The adjournment according to the police was at the instance of the bank.

FCMB was charged alongside a former manager of its Oke Arin branch, Rosemary Usifo, on a one-count charge of fraud.

On January 30, the prosecutor, Effiong Asuquo, informed the court that the bank had urged the police to seek an adjournment to enable them repay the money to the victim of the crime.

He said that after a meeting with the bank, it indicated its intention to repay the money obtained by the second accused, Ms. Usifo, from the account of one Archibong Nkana, a Deputy Inspector General of Police (rtd).

According to the prosecutor, the bank said that its moves were aimed at having the name of FCMB struck out from the charge.

Mr. Asuquo told the court that he was instructed to seek for an adjournment, to afford the bank time to regularise its position on the matter. He, however, added that the SFU would proceed with the prosecution of the case, if the bank reneged on its promise.

Justice Saliu Saidu adjourned the case to March 3, for trial, while the accused would remain in the Kirikiri prisons.

The accused was arraigned on December 5, 2013, for fraudulently obtaining N30 million from a fixed deposit account, belonging to Mr. Nkana.

She had pleaded not guilty to the charge and the judge ordered her be remanded in prison, pending determination of her bail application.

In the charge, the accused was said to have committed the offence in 2011 after forging a letter with which she withdrew the money from the customer’s bank account.

According to Mr. Asuquo, the accused had been at large since then and was only arrested by the police in November, 2013.

He said that the offence contravened the provisions of Sections 1(2) (a), (c), and Sections 3 (1) (2) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap. M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

(NAN)