EFCC Arrests Two Ex-Bankers for Allegedly Stealing Dead Customer’s Funds
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has apprehended two former Union Bank employees in Makurdi for allegedly stealing N4,199,500 from the account of a deceased customer.
EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale announced the arrests in a statement on Saturday in Abuja. The suspects, Idah Ogoh and Agbo Okwute, were taken into custody on Friday in Makurdi, Benue State.
The arrests followed a complaint from the bank regarding unauthorized debits on the account of Emmanuel Azer Agenna, a deceased customer. The fraudulent activities were discovered when the deceased’s family approached the bank to check the account balance for probate processing. The family disputed the balance provided by the bank, prompting them to lodge a complaint about the unauthorized debits.
In response to the complaint, the bank conducted an internal investigation. The investigation revealed that a debit card had been issued on May 10, 2023, for the deceased customer’s account. Idah Ogoh, a Sales and Service Associate at the bank, had procured the debit card, which was authorized by the bank on the same day.
Further investigation revealed that Ogoh handed the debit card to another Sales and Service Associate, Agbo Okwute, who then gave the card to an accomplice. This accomplice used the card to transfer and withdraw funds from the deceased’s account. Multiple unauthorized withdrawals were made by the suspects through this accomplice.
The EFCC has stated that the suspects will be charged to court once the investigation is concluded.
