EFCC arraigns bank manager over N187m fraud
By Andrew Orolua, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Enugu zonal office on Tuesday arraigned a former acting branch manager of Sterling Bank Plc, Oliver Anidiobi before Justice C.O. Ajah of the state high court, sitting in Enugu on a 32-count charge bordering on forgery and stealing.
Anidiobi, who was also the account relationship officer of OHHA Micro-Finance Bank, is facing the charges for allegedly stealing N187 million from the bank.
Investigations by the commission revealed that the accused used his position to convince the micro-finance bank to deposit the said amount with him with an accompanying letter of instruction (which he acknowledged) to Sterling Bank. He fixed the amount on behalf of the micro-finance bank, only for him to forge a fixed deposit certificate as evidence of their investment.
He, thereafter, upon receipt of several instalments of the money totaling N187 milliondiverted the money to his personal use to build a two-storey building of five flats, bought several plots of land along the Enugu- Port Harcourt Expressway and an uncompleted four -bedroom bungalow at Centenary Estate, Enugu as well as making an investment of over N65 million.
His journey to the dock began when OHHA Micro-Finance Bank decided to liquidate their two fixed deposit accounts with the bank, only to discover that there was no record of the transactions in the bank’s system.
One of the counts against the defendant reads: “Anidiobi Oliver Chukwuka, sometime between 15th day of August, 2014 and 28th day of August, 2014 in Enugu, did commit a felony, to wit stealing by fraudulently converting to your personal use N5 million being property of OHHA Micro-Finance Bank Limited and thereby committed an offence.”
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and in view of the plea, the defence counsel, O.A.U. Onyema, informed the court that he had an application for the bail of the defendant, but the prosecuting counsel, Micheal Ani, told the court that “the defence just served me in court this morning some few minutes ago.”
Justice Ajah, after listening to both counsels adjourned the matter to June 7 for hearing of the bail application and ordered that the accused person should be remanded in prison.
