Man with 25 Zenith bank accounts, different names arrested

The Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigeria Police Force, Milverton, Ikoyi, Lagos State, has arrested a man for opening about 25 savings accounts with Zenith Bank within three days.

The suspect, Okonkwo Nwachukwu, 39, was arrested when he went to another branch of Zenith Bank to open the 26^th account.

Detectives attached to the SFU, believed that the suspect, had defrauded many financial institutions and unsuspecting, but Nwachukwu had however denied doing anything fraudulent with the several accounts, stressing that he had to opened the accounts because of the cashless policy in Nigeria.

According to SFU's spokesperson, Ngozi Isintume-Agu, a petition dated February, 12, 2014, was received by the Commissioner of Police, alleged that Nwachukwu appeared at Amuwo Odofin Branch of Zenith Bank to open a savings account and presented an already completed savings account opening package with the name Obiozor Ifeanyi. He had also identified himself as such with a National Identity Card. 

The Petitioner said that while the Customer Service office was checking the documents, the suspect went to the Marketing Unit and collected another savings account opening package and completed same with another name Ogueji Nnamdi and returned to the Customer Service Desk and presented same for account opening with another National Identity Card bearing Ogueji Nnamdi. 

Isintume-Agu said: “The Petitioner told us that this attempt to open another savings account within minutes with another identity, made the Customer Service Officer to become suspicious. She decided to search the system with phone number 08162502677, which had been supplied by the suspect and discovered that he had already opened about 25 savings accounts at various branches bearing different names.  It was also further alleged that he opened and operates a corporate account number 1012000129 belonging to Chukon Integrated Limited and he also identified himself as Okonkwo Nwachukwu when he opened the said account.”

According to the SFU image maker, Nwachukwu is from Okija Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.  He is into cargo business and accompanies goods from China to Lagos.  He stated that his office is located at Block 4, Shop 169 A.P.T. Market Trade Fair, Lagos.

“The suspect confessed to the alleged crime but stated that the multiple accounts he opened was to enable him run his business successfully. He said that the cashless policy does not allow him to withdraw huge sum of money in one account and as such, he was advised to open multiple accounts so as to spread his money,” revealed Isintume-Agu. 

She added that the suspect had also further explained that he has N50, 000.00 each in 15 different accounts while the remaining accounts have N20, 000.00, N10, 000.00 and N5, 000.00 respectively. 

He equally confessed that the National Identity Card and PHCN bills were all forged by one ‘Pepper’ who is still at large. 

“The suspect came back from China on January, 27,  2014 and started the multiple account opening from 5^tFebruary, 5, 2014 to 7^th February when he was apprehended. Investigation is on-going to unravel the suspect’s motive behind the multiple account opening,” said Isintume-Agu.

She explained that the Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of the Unit, DCP Zubairu Muazu was using this medium to advise the bank management to properly cross check and scrutinize their prospective account opening customers. 

She added: “He commended the Zenith Bank management for their quick discovery of the antics of the fraudster and advised other banks to be at alert for such scammers whom it is believed work as a syndicate to defraud members of the public.”