By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
The trial of a First Bank of Nigeria customer who allegedly used his bank account to perpetrate fraud has been adjourned till September 30, 2020 for continuation.
The customer, Afolabi Nasiru, told a Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja Lagos Nigeria that his account with the bank, was used to allegedly perpetrate fraud to the tune of N14 million.
Afolabi Nasiru, a media agent and school proprietor, is standing trial alongside Bamidele Abdul-Mumuni and Olorunwa Babatunde Idowu before Justice Mojisola Dada over alleged offence of fraud.
They are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 40-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing.
Defending himself over alleged N14 million fraud, Nasiru told the court how he met one Babatunde Idowu, a Marketing Officer of First Bank of Nigeria, through a bulk teller, one Babatunde Fagbenro, who always assisted him when there is large crowd in the bank.
Recall that during their arraignment, the second defendant, Bamidele Abdul-Mumuni, who is an estate developer pleaded guilty to all the counts and was convicted accordingly but the duo of Afolabi Nasiru and Olorunwa Babatunde Idowu pleaded not guilty to the allegations, which paved the way for their trial.
Commencing his defence, Afolabi Nasiru who introduced himself as a Media Advert Agent and proprietor of Parent Joy Children Schools said:
“Fagbenro normally assists me when there is a crowd in the banking hall.
“He introduced me to Babatunde when I needed assistance on the international visa for school fees of my son which require traffic in my bank account
“Olorunwa Babatunde then told me that he knew a willing customer that can assist me to facilitate traffic in my account.
“He collected my corporate account details of the advert agency and the school.
“Few weeks after, I got an alert of N3 million credit in my account.
”After, I informed Olorunwa and he advised me to issue a cheque to return the money back to the sender, who was Abdul-Mumuni Bamidele, whom I never met before in my life and one Prof. Alaba Emmanuel among others who are paying into my account.
“Anytime money enters into my account, he always urged me to issue a cheque to return the money to the sender.
“I normally return the exact amount to every sender for each transaction.
“I have not for once had financial benefits from such transaction. My intention is to generate traffic based on the advice of my travelling agent.
“I don’t know how they usually return the money back to the sender. I could have noticed this problem if my money was missing but my money was intact from every transaction debit charges.
“When I was admitted at a private hospital for treatment of diabetes, I tried to pay for my medical bill but wasn’t successful.
“When I tried to use ATM to make withdrawal, it was then that I discovered that my account has been blocked.
“Upon enquiry, I discovered that it was EFCC that blocked my account based on investigation.
“I went to the EFCC office in Ikoyi for verification and rectification and I met the secretary of the agency who directed me to Team B of the cybercrime section.
“I met a senior officer, Mrs Omolola Oyalowo in that Unit, they asked whether I know one Abdul-Mumuni Bamidele and my thinking was that may be the bankers have not been remitting the funds back to the sender.
“I was later told that Abdul-Mumuni Bamidele and others at large committed a fraud which led to blockage of my account.
“They showed me their photographs but I didn’t recognize anyone among them.
“I was detained for 16 days and the Commission seized my personal items.
“I facilitated the arrest of Olorunwa and Fagbenro, on the day of the arrest but Babatunde Fagbenro escaped through the rear door of the bank.
“It was only Olorunwa that was arrested on that day.
“The following day, Fagbenro came to the EFCC office, the two bankers came to my cell to apologise to me. I had never been detained.
“I was granted administrative bail in November 2018 and I diligently complied with all the conditions in the bail.
“In Primea Media account, I had N6.5 million which doesn’t belong to Prof Alaba Emmanuel, the complainant, it’s not a proceed of crime, it’s my hard earned money.
“The money was meant for the payment of my customers such as Punch and Guardian Newspapers.
“Most of the money in my account are paid in by customers for job yet to be executed.
“My contact in Guardian Newspapers who normally arranged credit facilities for me was arrested by Zone Two as regards the debit.
“He was later released when I signed undertaking that immediately my account is unblocked I will settle the bill.”
Earlier, Olorunwa Idowu, while being cross examined, told the court that he worked with the FBN for 10 years and admitted given out Nasiru’s account out to Bamidele Abdul-Mumuni who is now a convict.
Olorunwa Idowu equally confirmed that he didn’t know the source of the money.