EFCC apprehends ex-bankers involved in theft of N4.2m from deceased customer

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, or EFCC, has detained two former employees of Union Bank in Makurdi, the capital of Benue State, on suspicion of stealing N4,199,500 from a deceased bank customer.

Idah Ogoh and Agbo Okwute, the suspects, were taken into custody on Friday in Makurdi, according to a statement released on Saturday in Abuja by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale.

According to Oyewale, the bank filed a petition against them alleging illegal debits from the account of Emmanuel Azer Agenna, a deceased client, which led to their detention.

He claims that their transactions came to light when the deceased’s family asked the bank for the deceased’s account balance in order to process the estate.

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He claims that the family lodged a complaint about unauthorised debits from the account to the bank after contesting the balance that the bank had given them.

He continued by saying that the bank conducted an internal inquiry in response to their accusations, and the results showed that on May 10, 2023, a debit card was obtained through the deceased’s customer account.

According to him, Ifah Ogoh, a sales and service associate of the bank, obtained the debit card, which the bank had authorised on the same day.

“Further investigation by the bank revealed that the card obtained by Ogoh was given to another Sales and Service representative, Agbo Okwute, who subsequently gave the card to a collaborator for money transfers and withdrawals from the deceased’s account.

The accomplice was reportedly used by the suspects to make multiple withdrawals. When the investigations are over, the suspects will face charges in court, he stated.