The
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested two young men who
claimed to be undergraduates of the University of Jos, Isaiah Friday
and Azzaior Samuel, for an alleged N2.05bn fraud.
Two bureau de change operators, Salihu Mahmoud and Dan Ibrahim, were also arrested in connection with the alleged crime.
The suspects were also accused of being
members of a syndicate that specialised in breaking into the computer
data base of financial institutions to carry out dry posting of funds.
The Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said the suspects were arrested in Lagos and Jos.
He said, “Their arrest comes on the
heels of a petition which the commission received from Union Bank of
Nigeria Plc, Marina, Lagos, in January 2013, alleging that a criminal
attack had been launched on its data base known as ‘Flexcube’, by
yet-to-be-identified criminals who falsified the bank records and
accounts and created unjustified huge opening balances in several
accounts across the bank’s branches. They subsequently transferred funds
from those accounts to several accounts in other banks.
“The petition, which was signed by one
A.F Olufade, Head of Fraud Investigation at the bank, said cash
withdrawals and electronic transfers totalling N2.05bn was involved in
the scam.”
It was learnt that EFCC initial
investigation showed that Friday, who was carrying out computer system
maintenance services for one of the Union Bank branches in Jos, Plateau
State, on a part-time basis, paved the way for the fraudsters to
penetrate the bank’s database.
Uwujaren said, “Friday was traced and arrested. His arrest led to the arrest of Azaaior Samuel.
“Investigations further revealed that
Samuel introduced Friday to Mahmoud, who is the mastermind of the fraud
with others now at large.
“Mahmoud and other collaborators told
Friday that they needed access to the bank’s database in order to carry
out some postings. They promised to give Friday N.5m if the deal
succeeded.”
It was gathered that Friday agreed.
On the day the crime was committed, he told people at the bank that
Samuel was his colleague who had accompanied him to work.
It was learnt that after the gang had
succeeded in gaining access to the bank’s premises, it carried out the
postings to six different company accounts domiciled in Union Bank’s
Marina branch in Lagos.
Uwujaren said, “The accounts are Gona
Bureau De Change Limited, Jaxmine Bureau De Change Limited, Dan Kawu
Bureau De Change Limited, Godswill Great Communications, ZHG Services
Limited and A and B Console Limited. The postings were carried out and
the syndicate thereafter went to the bank to withdraw all the funds.
Friday was paid as promised and other syndicate members now at large
shared the remaining balance.”
The EFCC spokesman added that the commission had been able to recover $2,129,900 and another N134,542, from the fraudsters.
He said, “Other items recovered are
furniture worth N10m from Salihu Liman’s one bedroom apartment in Yaba,
Lagos; four vehicles, landed properties in Kano and Kaduna and a
four-bedroom duplex worth N45m in Lagos.
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Pls, amnesty should be granted to all fraudsters. They r only reaping left overs from some peoples table. Or hw una see am as e be say niger delta get amnesty, boko haram get amnesty, and one bros whe be lawyer don begin clamour say make dem grant kidnappers IMMEDIATE amnesty. I de laf ooooo!!!
ReplyDeleteSENSELESS COMMENT!
DeleteIndeed, a senseless comment on sensitive issues.
ReplyDeleteSenseless comment but the actual fact
ReplyDeleteIts not senseless! Can't u guys read through the lines, d 1st anonymous was just mocking the government of the day! Cz they done a lot of stupid things! Really I won't be surprised if someday Ritaulist or armed robbers were pardoned and granted this so called amnesty cz its becoming a regular word now, if not, tell me any country that ever propose amnesty to a terrorist group? Had BH accepted the so called amnesty, maybe they would all have been smiling to the bank by now.
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