United Bank for Africa (UBA) has refused to release 71-year-old Innocent Anyaka’s DEM14,500 (over N3.5million at the current exchange rate) withheld since 1982.

Anyaka had approached the main branch of the bank in Aba, Abia State, with N200,000 for onward conversion to Deutsche Mark and transfer to Khran Chenie Gram, a German pharmaceutical company for the importation of some drugs.

However, DEM14,500 out of the converted sum was neither remitted to the company nor returned to the depositor.

Following FIJ’s report exactly six months ago, UBA’s head office asked Anyaka to send copies of his letters to the bank in the last 38 years. Although the letters were sent, the bank has neither invited the old man nor let go of his money.

Anyaka, whose business suffered serious setback as a result of the withheld sum, told FIJ on Monday that UBA had not shown commitment towards getting him a refund.

“It is important to remind you that UBA has not done anything since then and has refused to invite me officially for peaceful settlement out of court,” he said.

“When the manager of the UBA, Aba branch, invited me after FIJ’s first publication, he said I couldn’t blame any of the workers since none of them had been around for 38 years. Later, he dropped a WhatsApp message inviting me to a meeting. But I told him to make it official. Since then, I’ve not heard anything.”