EFCC Arraigns Ecobank, Staff For Defrauding Army General Of $60,000, N9.2m
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Thursday, arraigned Ecobank Nigeria Plc and one of its employees, Mr Anieka Udoh before a Federal High Court, Lagos, for allegedly defrauding a Major-General in the Nigerian Army, of the sum of $60,000.
The victim of the alleged fraud is Major-General Mohammed Umoru.
The defendants were arraigned before Justice Saliu Saidu.
The EFCC in the charged marked FHC/L/55c/19, alleged that both Ecobank and Udoh who is in the employment of Ecobank Plc was Alleged to have negligently failed to exercise due diligence in relation to conduct of financial transactions with Major General Umaru Mohammed, fraudulently opened and operated an Ecobank account number 0015052989 in the name of Mohammed Umaru without the knowledge and authority of the customer, Mohammed Umaru.
They were also alleged to have on January 28, 2016 at Lagos fraudulently withdrew and converted the sum of USD10, 000, 00 from Mohammed Umaru’s Ecobank account Domiciliary account number 43336361424 without his knowledge and authority.
Ecobank and Anieka Udom was also Alleged to have sometimes in 2009 a time Lagos negligently failed to exercise due diligence in relation to conduct of financial transactions with General Umaru Mohammed fraudulently converted Major General Umaru Ecobank MasterCard Account number 0015052989 from debit card to credit and consequently debited Major General Umaru Mohammed account in the sum of over USD 50,000 without the knowledge and authority of Major General Umaru Mohammed.
They were also said to have sometimes in 2016 converted Major General Umaru Mohammed Domiciliary account in the bank to Naira account without without the knowledge and permission of the account owner and consequently left a debit of N 9.2 million in the said account.
The offences according to the prosecutor,
Mrs. Bilikisu O, are contrary to and punishable sections 7(3)(a) and (b) of the advance Fee fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.
The second defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge .
Following the not guilty plea of the defendant, the prosecutor pleaded with the court to remand the defendant in prison custody pending trial.
However, counsel to the the defendant, O. J. Owoh, pleaded with the court for a short adjournment for him to bring a proper application before the court.
Justice Saliu Saidu after listening to both parties, ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison custody and consequently adjourn the matter till March 12, for trial.
