In a reaction to a trending news of theft, a Nigerian commercial bank has debunked the allegation that an apprehended ATM fraudster was its staff.
According to a released made available to Freelanews, the bank firmly stated that the 22-year-old Tope Olajide, who was accused of using ATM cards stolen to make withdrawals from accounts attached to the ATMs.
The statement read:
The attention of the management of Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC has been drawn to news currently circulating in the media, about the alleged arraignment of staff of the Bank on charges bordering on the theft of customers deposits.
The Bank would like to clarify that the defendant, a 22-year-old Tope Olajide, IS NOT, and was at no point in time an employee of Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC.
The alleged culprit was apprehended around 7:30 am, on Thursday, 27 August 2020, by security operatives after he was exposed by CCTV footage using ATM cards he had allegedly stolen and converted, to make withdrawals from the accounts tied to the stolen ATMs.
The CCTV footage also showed the alleged culprit pretending to assist customers at ATMs whilst also attempting to fraudulently dispossess the customers of their ATMs.
He was subsequently arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate Court on Monday, 14 September, for stealing the debit cards of two customers and using them to unlawfully withdraw the sum of N427,000.
The Bank would also like to implore members of the public to be security conscious when conducting transactions at ATMs. Customers are advised to report any suspicious actions around them to security operatives who are usually stationed around the Bank’s ATMs, when carrying out transactions at any of our ATM locations.
As an organisation, we hold dear the values of integrity, and we will continue to prioritise the safety of our customers effectively.
Olajide, however, denied committing the offence and was admitted to bail in the sum of N250,000 with two sureties in like sum.
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