THE Kano Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC has told Justice Musa Danladi of the Katsina State High Court how one Kolapo Oduwole, a staff of Union bank Plc covetously forged a senior staff signature and pilfered a whopping N80 million naira belonging to a customer of the bank and converted same for personal use.
Sources said the thievery took place sometime in March 2020 in the midst the covdi-19 pandemic following he was tracked and arrested by the anti-graft agents.
A statement by the Commission’s Head Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale and made available to CrimeWorld, revealed that after moving the customer’s fund, the light fingered banker lodged the fund in separate fixed deposit accounts to which he was signatory before gradually withdrawing it in tranches.
In a six count charge of forgery and defraud pressed against the sleazy banker, the Commission alleged that, “Kolapo Oduwole, a staff of Union Bank of Nigeria, allegedly forged signatures of Relationship Manager of the Bank on three fixed deposits certificates and presented same to some customers and subsequently got the customers to fix their money in fixed deposit accounts controlled only by him.
Furthermore, after the money was fixed, the defendant transferred it into various accounts to conduct his personal businesses.
One of the charge read that You Kolapo Oduwole on the 3rd March, 2020 at Katsina, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court forged a certain document to wit: Re: Investment of (N80,000,000) Eighty Million Naira Only with intent to cause damage to one Abubakar Mohammed by making him to believe that you had placed the money in a fixed deposit with Union Bank and you thereby committed an offense contrary to section 340 and punishable under section 341 of the Penal Code Law of Katsina State 2019.”
Continuing, the statement added, “The accused person pleaded not guilty to the six- count charge. In view of his plea, prosecution counsel, Aisha Tahar Habib requested the court for a trial date and that the defendant be remanded in the Commission’s custody as he is still under investigation. Defence counsel, M.M Rimaye, did not object to the prosecution’s application. Justice Danladi adjourned the matter till October 12, 2020 for commencement of trial and remanded the accused person in EFCC’s custody.”
