The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested 5 bankers in connection to stealing. They stand accused of forgery and stealing from deceased customer’s account.

The suspects include Mbong Essien, Akwa Akwa, Precious John, Kenneth Udoetuk and Ubong Udom.

The official statement from the EFCC reads, “The Uyo Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has uncovered a criminal syndicate of bankers that specialized in forging signatures of deceased bank customers and stealing from their accounts. They also execute fraudulent financial transactions, including unauthorised debits of depositors’ funds.”

The suspects were charged before Justice Archibong Archibong on Monday, March 2, 2020, at Akwa Ibom State High Court.

The face a 23-count charge bordering on “conspiracy, forgery, obtaining by false pretence and criminal conversion of depositors’ funds to the tune of N37,690,000.”

72 customers of the Fidelity Bank Plc, Abak Road branch in Uyo, wrote a petition on December 9, 2019, that alerted the EFCC of suspicious withdrawals from customers’ accounts, including that of a deceased customer.

According to the EFCC, Mbong is the leader of the syndicate. He used his position as the Head, Operations and Transaction Service and Delivery, to establish the criminal group.

They, meanwhile, pleaded not guilty to the offence.