CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
The Police have arrested four bank staff in connection with the fraudulent transfer of £138,924 which was the equivalent of N277,848,000 from bank accounts belonging to some international airlines domiciled in Nigeria.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the suspects, Shuaib Oluwatobiloba Olaleye (27), Oladunjoye Adegoke (33), Austin Alfred (38), and Jude Uzobuaku (36), were arrested in different locations across Lagos and Ogun States.
This was disclosed by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects and exhibits recovered during the operation.
He explained that two of the suspects, Alfred and Uzobuaku, allegedly aided the illegal transfer of funds.
He stated that the alleged fraud was discovered following a petition from a former bank staff member, who alleged that Olaleye moved the stolen funds into her domiciliary account before withdrawing the money.
“The bank, upon detecting the unauthorised transactions, launched an internal probe, which eventually led to the Police investigation. Olaleye was arrested on March 12, in Ogun State, where law enforcement officers also recovered a Toyota Camry 2012/2013, which he allegedly purchased with the proceeds of the crime.”
“The petitioner, who was a staff with the bank, alleged in her petition that the suspect fraudulently stole 138,924 pounds equal to N277,848,000 from the bank and transferred the same into her domiciliary account, from which he later collected all the money and now the bank is after all his associates, including herself, hence this petition.”
“Upon the receipt of the petition, the complainant was invited and she narrated how the incident happened. The suspect, who has been evading arrest for long, was arrested on 12/03/2025 at about 1300 hrs in part of Ogun State, and the above-named exhibit, which he claimed as proceeds of the crime, was recovered from him.”
“The suspect confessed to the crime and made further claims that himself and two other suspects who are staff of the bank connived and carried out the crime,”
“Adegoke was apprehended the following day, March 13, in Victoria Island, Lagos, with another Toyota Camry (pencil light) linked to the stolen funds.”
“Further investigations led to the arrest of Alfred and Uzobuaku, who worked in the bank’s Trade Services Department as a Supervisor and Processor, respectively.
The Police said the duo facilitated the fraudulent transfer of funds to foreign accounts provided by Olaleye.”
“They are both staff of the bank. They helped the main suspect in facilitating the transfer of the stolen funds from the domiciliary accounts of some foreign airlines to some foreign accounts provided by the main suspect.
“Suspects have made useful statements and are undergoing interrogation. An investigation is still ongoing,” he stated.
He stated that the suspects will be charged before Court after the conclusion of investigation by the Police.
