Men of the Ogun state police command invaded the Oke Ilewo branch of Skye Bank Plc, Abeokuta on Friday on a mission to unravel an alleged Internet fraud of N30m in an account domiciled in the bank.
The fraud involved the state-owned Gateway Savings and Loans Limited’s Internet account with the bank.
Our correspondent gathered that the policemen stormed the bank around 4.30pm with an Armoured Personnel Carrier and not less than four Hilux pick up vans.
The security operatives were said to have attempted to whisk the bank manager and some members of staff away.
The combat mood of the security men sent customers who had besieged the Automated Teller Machines within the bank premises, running helter-skelter.
While some of the security men entered into the banking hall, others kept watch over movement of customers and other people outside.
It was learnt that the bank staff engaged the policemen in augument and were reluctant to release their manager for about two hours.
An official of the bank, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, on Saturday said a senior manager of the bank was later taken to the Ibara Divisional Police Station, Abeokuta to make a statement.
The official said, “The management of Gateway Savings and Loans came to our bank to lodge a complaint of perpetual fraud and debit of about N30m from their Internet account in our bank.
“Since it was an Internet transaction, we told them to give us time to call on our technologists to investigate the issue.
“But within an hour, around 4.30pm security operatives in about eight police vehicles and one armoured tank came to the bank and chased away all customers within the bank premises. They said they were acting on the order of the governor to arrest the manager if the money was not provided.
“We told them they could not arrest anybody from the bank since there was no personal contact with anybody from the bank before the transaction was made and it was only the management of the Gateway Savings and Loans that knew the password of the Internet account.
“We told them someone within their organisation who was privy to the password must have hacked their account.”
Our correspondent gathered that the arrested senior bank official was released immediately he made his statement while some officials in the Gateway Savings and Loans Limited were quizzed.
The state Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, could not be reached for comments on the alleged fraud.
But in a telephone interview with our correspondent, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, confirmed the incident.
Olaniyonu said an Internet fraud was uncovered in the account of the Gateway Savings and Loans Limited domiciled in Skye Bank.
He explained that the police were already investigating the fraud.
Olaniyonu, however, said the amount involved was N14.3m and not N30m as alleged.
He said, “It was not a case of invasion of the bank by policemen. What happened was that there was an internet fraud. About N14.3m was said to be involved. The incident was discovered on Monday but the management and other officials of Gateway Savings and Loans didn’t report the matter until Wednesday.”
Olaniyonu explained that the police had promised to get a court injunction to compel Skye Bank to reveal certain information about the controversial transaction.
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