The police at the Bar Beach Division, Victoria Island, Lagos of the Lagos State Police Command, Lagos have arrested a 25 years old staff, of Providus Bank Plc located at Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island, Ibrahim Mohammed Garba and charged him before a Lagos Magistrates’ Court for allegedly forging the signature of a customer of the bank to withdraw the sum of N25m from his account.
Police alleged that the defendant allegedly perpetrated the fraud by blocking the alert system of the complainant’s account, Mr. Delinbo Opeyemi, forged his signature, withdrew the sum of N25m and transferred the money to his account for his personal use.
Police further alleged that nemesis, however, caught up with the defendant when the complainant stormed the bank to complain to the management of the bank that he was no longer receiving alerts from his account and that they should restore his alert to enable him access his account.
Police said that the bank officials swiftly restored the complainant’s bank alert and in the process, he discovered that N25m had been withdrawn from his account without his authority.
Following the development, the bank officials swung into action and during an internal investigation, they traced the alleged N25m withdrawal to the defendant.
The bank officials swiftly sent a distress call to the divisional police officer, DPO in charge of Bar Beach division who dispatched her team to the bank to arrest the defendant.
During investigation, according to the police, the defendant allegedly confessed to the crime and said that he allegedly stole the money and used N20m to play lottery, adding that he used the remaining N5m to buy clothes and enjoy.
Garba from Jigawa state was charged before the Tinubu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos Island on a four-count charge bordering on forgery and stealing.
Police prosecuting counsel, Inspector Ajaga Agboko informed the court that the defendant committed the offence on 1 and 15 September 2023 in Lagos.
Agboko told the court that the defendant betrayed the trust his employer reposed in him, forged the signature of a customer of his employer and stole the sum of N25m from his account.
He said the offences, the Defendant committed were punishable under Section 363(1), 379, 280(2) and 73 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and the presiding Magistrate granted him N5m bail with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case.
credit: PM News
