EFCC arrest syndicate of bankers over N37m fraud [photos]

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Uyo zonal office has uncovered a criminal syndicate of bankers who defraud customers of millions.

The syndicate was discovered to specialize in forging signatures of dead bank customers, and stealing from their accounts.

Their unfettered access to customers bank accounts was used to execute fraudulent financial transactions, including unauthorised debits of depositors’ funds.

The members of the criminal syndicate, which include, Mbong Essien, Akwa Ephraim Akwa, Precious John, Kenneth Udoetuk and Ubong Udom were on Monday, March 2, 2020 arraigned before Justice Archibong Archibong of the Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo, on a 23-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, obtaining by false pretence and criminal conversion of depositors’ funds to the tune of N37,690,000.

According to the EFCC revealed that Mbong used his position as the Head, Operations and Transaction Service and Delivery, established a criminal syndicate that specialized in perpetrating the fraudulent transactions and deductions.

The management of Fidelity Bank Plc, Abak Road branch in Uyo and 72 of the bank customers had in a petition dated December 9, 2019, alerted the Commission of suspicious withdrawals from customers’ accounts, including that of a deceased customer.

Further investigations also showed that without the authorization or knowledge of the management of the bank, the defendants managed a fictitious fixed deposit account with interest accruing to it.

See photos below

READ: Employee at Fidelity bank steals N137M from customer