Access Bank Customer Alleges Fraudulent Withdrawals Of Over N350 Million From Own Accounts

***As Access Bank Claims investigation In Progress, Accounts Officer On The Run

One of Access Bank’s Customers, Mr. Pascal Nwabueze Innocent, has alleged fraudulent deduction of over N350 million from his two separate accounts with the bank.

This is even as the Access Bank claimed that it is in alliance with the Police currently on investigation of the allegation just as it also disclosed that the account officer of the bank accounts had eloped.

The two accounts include his personal account and a corporate account with the name, De Chimex Aluminum & Steel Company Limited, both of which are operated by Pascal Nwabueze Innocent and domiciled at the Access Bank Plc, Wuse Market branch, Abuja.

Nwabueze Innocent claimed to have discovered to his chagrin that over N116 million has been fraudulently withdrawn from both his personal and corporate accounts with the bank.

However, in the course of probing into the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the N116 million, the customer further discovered that the total funds that had developed wings from his accounts were over N350 million.

He alleged that the amount was apart from over N74 million appropriated in 2016 by the bank when he installed a heavy duty machines imported from China.

It was gathered that when he approached the bank through a letter dated July 5, 2018, to ascertain who and how the transaction were carried out, Access  Bank, in their reply dated July 9, the bank assured him that it “has commenced investigation into the alleged unauthorized fraudulent withdrawals from your account”

Access Bank also requested him to provide “the details of the transactions in other to assist in their investigation, promising to furnish him with the outcome of their investigation.

It was further gathered that the request made by Nwabueze Innocent for Access Bank to furnish him with that instruments used in the withdrawals were rebuffed by the bank.

However, it was also learnt that rather than keep its promise of furnishing the customer the findings of their investigation, Access Bank reported the Nwabueze Innocent to the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), FCT Command.

It was further learnt that it was when the Police stepped into the matter that the bank reluctantly made available 43 Fund Transfer/Standing Order Forms, out of which only five were authorized by Nwabueze Innocent while the remaining 38 were “unauthorized and fraudulent”.

Top Police sources said preliminary report of the investigation has shown that it was a clear case of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and outright theft.

According to Police sources, Access Bank is “becoming hesitant in responding to several issues relating to the withdrawals from the two accounts maintained by Nwabueze Innocent.

For instance, it was learnt that the bank is being reluctant to produce the original mandate for the withdrawals and the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage between May 1, 2018 and June 30, 2018 when the fraudulent transactions were made.

Sources familiar with the police investigations, alleged that central to the whole drama around the illegal withdrawals from the two accounts, was one Ms Uche Gloria Michael Sado, a staff of Access Bank who is also the accounts officer for the two accounts.

Investigations by the Police was said to have revealed that funds were pulled from the two accounts maintained by Nwabueze Innocent and channeled to Mikuch Global Limited, from where the funds are withdrawn and disbursed among the “beneficiaries” of the fraudulent act.

It was further discovered during the police investigations that Mikuch Global Limited is owned by one Michael Sado, husband to Ms Uche Gloria Michael, the Account Officer to of the two bank accounts from which the withdrawals were made.

According to Police sources, the fraud was perfected by forging the signature, telephone number and company name of the two accounts while at the same time diverting the Alert from the original telephone number of the account holder.

Police investigations also showed that Access Bank is being economical with the truth as the Uche Gloria Michael Sado, whom the bank is alleging to have “stolen” the funds and is alleged to be on the run is still on the payroll of the bank.