N1 Billion Fraud Rocks UBA, Driver’s Account Credited With N1,000,000,000

Economic and financial crimes Commission, EFCC, have waded into the N1billion fraud that took place at the Area3, branch of the United Bank for Africa, UBA.

In a petition to the anti- graft, commission, Mr. Peter Ujah, a contract staff  with the U B  A, gave a graphic account of how the  management of the Bank, in 2009, credited his account  with N=1,000,000,000,00( One billion) into his account No.02680600005153, domiciled at the Area 3 branch, Abuja.

The transactions and subsequent moves by the management have all the complexion of fraud and internal manipulations.

In the petition addressed to the Chairman  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, dated  September, 30, 2013, made available to  our Correspondent, Ujah,  in his narrations claimed he was employed by Norwood Executive Drivers Management,    on October 10  2009  and    contracted  to the  Management of the UBA, Area3, Abuja  and attached to the e-banking  section . Attached to the petition is letters of his appointments.

Trouble, however, started for Mr. Ujah, when according to him in the petition to EFCC, "On January 3, 2011, I received an alert on my GSM mobile phone that one billion Naira had been paid into my account No 02680600005153, at Area 3 branch of UBA" he stated

Ujah, further stated in his petition to the anti-graft agency that "subsequently, following this strange but deliberate transactions by the management, I reported to the Customer service, same day from where I was referred to Madam Imeh, the branch Manager in charge of Area 3, who later directed me to Isaac Peter, the business administration officer who again told me it was beyond him and directed me to Mr. Shina, an Account officer at the Garki Corporate service office of UBA, in Abuja"

"Mr. Shina, in a move that smack of delay to enable the management complete the internal manipulation which the bank is known for told me he will get back to me"

Indeed, if Ujah, the embattled Driver was expecting any respite, it came inform of an invitation to a meeting with a crack management staff of the Bank, led by Chike Mofunanya, the supervisor e- banking and Kayode Ajangbadi, the Head of Human Resources.

Other staff at the meeting include Mrs Naomi, the branch manager and John Edibo, Head of posting at Area 3 and other management staff from other branches within Abuja, in attendance.

According to Mr. Ujah, "I was later made to understand that the meeting was a disciplinary committee meeting.''

Continued he said "Curiously, the disciplinary committee/Panel requested me to write a statement on how the money got into my account, the panel however, changed its decision, that I should give an oral statement while a secretary was appointed to take note.

While this was going on my account was froze by the management, worried by this development, as I could not access my salary and my savings, without any explanations or query, but was just left hanging in the bank for some months without been sacked, I discussed the matter with one of my cousins, Gabriel Igoche, then a staff of Chevron Texaco, Abuja who claimed he will help me through one Adamu, who he claimed is a staff of EFCC"

"Adamu who I  could not established his identity, through Igoche directed me to leave the office on a particular date, as the EFCC officials were coming to  carry out arrest of the some staff within the Bank.

I was later told the Said Adamu, the EFCC officer, who I only spoke with on his GSM No.08036111123, later led a team of EFCC officials to arrest Mr. Edibo, Head of posting, the investigation officer, internal control UBA from Adetokumbo Ademola branch of UBA, Abuja and the Assistant branch manager, Ambrose Ondoma from Area 3."

According to Mr. Ujah, in his petition, the EFCC team led by Adamu claimed the staff arrested was released the following day. "But as a complainant, I was never and up till now invited" he said.

247ureports.com investigations at the EFCC office show that the fraud was never reported at the Commission, before the September, 30 2013 petition by Ujah, to the commission.

But curiously in November, 2012, after the purported arrest and detentions, the Management of UBA again invited Ujah, to another meeting at the Maitama branch of UBA. "I was asked the similar question of how the money got into my account and the date of my appointment, after the explanations, I was asked to return back to my duty post at Area3. Since then I have been in the office, without salary, until July23, 2013 when I formally wrote to my employers, Norwood Executive Drivers Management to inform them of my plight, the management in a response expressed shocked over the development, after my meeting with them at Maitama, in Abuja and promised to get back to me"

"This twenty-two months, after I have neither been queried nor terminated because from all indications, Norwood still receives their monthly deductions from my salary, because the staff insurance initiative by UBA, domiciled at the IBTC, which I am a beneficiary, still send me alert"

Interestingly Ujah claimed in his petition, that he has been receiving threat messages and phone calls from those he suspected as the agent of UBA warning him of the implications of crying out.