Fake Firstbank worker with 44 ATM cards, steals customer’s N6m

Desmond

A fake first bank worker, who allegedly stole N6million from a first bank customer's account, has been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for fraud. This was even as operatives of the commission recovered 44 ATM cards from him.

The EFCC today, arraigned the suspect, Akpere Ovine Desmond before Justice Abubakar Shitu of the Federal High Court, Warri, Delta State on a 2-count charge bordering on conspiracy and money laundering.

When the charges were read to him, the accused pleaded not guilty.

The EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren said that the petitioner had alleged that on May 29, 2012, he received a phone call from one Mr. Taiwo Ogunsanyo who claimed to be a staff of First Bank Nigeria Plc. According to him, Taiwo claimed the bank was updating customers’ security information and requested for his token number, phone number and corporate identity number.

The petitioner sent all the details as requested and, to his surprise, he received a debit alert of the withdrawal of the sum of N6, 000,000.00 from his company, First Ambition investment Limited’s account with First Bank.

Uwujaren said: “A trail of the funds, led investigators to an account,   number 2060211484 at the United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) belonging to one Frank Asemota, from where the money was transferred to different accounts and consequently withdrawn at various ATM terminals.  Akpere Ovine Desmond whose account was flagged was arrested in Access Bank, Benin, Edo State with 44 ATM cards.”

Investigation further revealed that the accused person conspired with others to launder N6, 000,000.00 proceed of the scam.

Count one reads, “that you Akpere Ovine Desmond on or about the 29^th day of May, 2013 at Sapele, Delta State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did convert the sum of N6,000,000.00 belonging to one Taiwo Aremu Waheed, which you derived from the money illegally transferred into the account of one Frank Asemota domiciled at United Bank for Africa (UBA) with account number 2060211484 with the aim of disguising the origin of the money and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act”.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, Adebayo Soares asked for a date for trial but the defence counsel, D.O Afure presented an application for bail of the accused before the court.

Justice Abubakar granted the accused bail in the sum of N3,000,000.00 and two sureties in like sum, who must be resident within the Jurisdiction court,. Additionally, one of the sureties must have a landed property with Certificate of Occupancy in Delta State. The matter was adjourned till April 29, 2015 for trial.