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| Customers in a bank. Getty image. |
A woman appeared to have simply disappeared
into thin air after she cleverly defrauded a
microfinance bank, located at the Ojo Alaba area
of Lagos State. The woman was said to have
fooled one of the bank’s workers into giving her
a loan by using a stranger’s restaurant as
collateral for the loan.
The worker of AB Microfinance Bank was hooked
winked by the woman into believing that the
restaurant, located at No. 91 Adaloko Road,
Arikawe Bus Stop, Afro Media, Ojo, Lagos State,
was actually hers. Accepting the woman’s words
of honour, the bank gave her the loan.
The scam was discovered after the bank worker
realised that the woman had not been servicing
her loan. The bank padlocked the restaurant,
expecting the woman to appear, instead, the
genuine, angry owner, Mr. Boniface
Uwanyemugwu, appeared. Uwanyemugwu
travelled to his village, in Imo State, when the
unknown woman used his restaurant as
collateral.
He returned from village, to discover that AB
Microfinance Bank had padlocked his restaurant.
It is believed that the woman knew that
Uwanyemugwu travelled to his village and
decided to use his restaurant to dupe the bank.
The bank’s worker, who handled the loan
transaction, has been identified as Mr. Adeniyi
Adeoye. Uwanyemugwu said that Adeoye and his
enforcement team have disrupted his business
and daily income, since they locked up his
restaurant.
Uwanyemugwu said he returned from his village
to find Adeoye’s business card, placed
conspicuously at the entrance of his restaurant.
The card reads: ‘Adeniyi Adeoye, AB
Microfinance bank, 22, Ojo Igbede Road, Alaba,
Lagos.
Uwanyemugwu said: “I returned from my village
to find my restaurant locked up. I thought it was
the handiwork of local government officials. I
looked at the complimentary card and
discovered it belonged to one Mr. Adeniyi
Adeoye, of AB Microfinance Bank. I had never
had any dealing with them.
"I called Adeoye’s phone number, to know what
the matter was. He said the owner of that shop
used it to obtain a loan from AB Microfinance
Bank. He then hung up. I called him again; he
said if I wanted to know more, I should come. At
first, I wanted to break the padlock, but I decided
to involve the police.”
Uwanyemugwu went to Okokomaiko Police
Station ,to lodge a complaint. The Divisional
Police Officer (DPO), in Charge of Okokomaiko
Police Station, sent some police officers to the
bank, with a letter of invitation.
Uwanyemugwu said: “They followed me to my
restaurant and saw that it was truly locked. We
went to the bank. Mr. Adeoye accepted he was
the one that placed his business card there.
"He told us that a woman, who owns the shop,
used it to obtain loan from the bank. Police gave
him a letter of invitation. He was supposed to go
to the station the following day.
But he didn’t honour the invitation. I went back
to the police and told the Divisional Crime Officer
(DCO), that I wanted to see the DPO. The DPO
again asked his men to take me to the bank. At
the bank, we met the manager. The manager
said he was not aware of the locking up of my
restaurant. The manager brought out the file that
had to do with the loan. They saw that it wasn’t
me that collected the loan.”
According to Uwanyemugwu, the manager
begged that the case should be settled amicably,
but the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), said the
matter wouldn’t be settled at the bank. The IPO
asked all parties to meet at the police station.
The bank again, allegedly refused to keep the
appointment. When the bank was called again,
the IPO was told that Adeoye had gone for a
course. The bank advised that everything should
be put on hold, pending the return of Adeoye.
Meanwhile, Uwanyemugwu’s restaurant,
continued to be unlocked. Uwanyemugwu, who
said the bank’s statement angered him, added: “I
have lost about N1.2 million over 30 days that
my restaurant had been locked, and time is still
running. I make an average of N30,000 daily
from the business. I have family and other
dependents. They look up to me for financial
assistance. How can I bear the burden of an
unknown debtor?"
Frustrated, Uwanyemugwu said he was forced to
petition the Area E Police Command, Festac,
begging the Area Commander, to carry out
proper investigation into the matter.
Uwanyemugwu said that he felt the bank was
not respecting the DPO and IPO of Okokomaiko
Police Station.
Uwanyemugwu said: “The Area E Commander
has directed that Adeoye be arrested. I will
follow the matter to its logical conclusion. I know
all I have spent, would be paid back. Whosoever
had done this, is not a ghost! The bankers failed
to carry out proper verification exercise. The
bank allowed itself to be deceived.
"The bank should look for the debtor to refund its
loan. I will sue for the loss I have incurred in the
course of this investigation.” When Adeoye was
contacted via phone, another employee of the
bank, who refused to identify himself, answered
on two occasions.
He said Adeoye was not available. He also noted
that the complainant had reported the matter to
the police station, while AB Microfinance Bank’s
manager, has begun internal investigations.
However, he told a correspondent to visit the
bank.
During the correspondent's visit to the bank, the
front desk employee, who refused to disclose her
name, denied him access to the bank manager.
She however admitted that, the bank was aware
of the case.
Source: New Telegraph
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