ICPC Officials Discover N258m New Naira Notes In Abuja Bank Vault

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has discovered a hidden bank vault containing some cash.

According to a statement by the ICPC Spokesperson, Mrs Azuka Ogugua, this discovery was made last week Friday, when the sum of N258 million stashed in a vault at the head office of Sterling Bank in Abuja was seen by officials of ICPC during an inspection.

She explained that when the ICPC monitoring team visited the bank and discovered the new naira notes in the bank’s vault, it was informed that the cash was the remnant of what the CBN had given the bank for onward distribution to its branches.

She said: “The team however found out that only the sum of N5 million each was distributed to their various branches.

“Both the Regional and Service managers were arrested and later granted administrative bail while investigation continues.”

Similarly, the Head of Operations, Keystone Bank, Mararaba in Nasarawa State was also arrested by the Commission for frustrating its customers from getting the new naira notes.

Ogugua revealed that while the Commission was on its routine operation, it found out that the Automated Teller Machines at the branch were not dispensing to customers

Meanwhile other bank customers were accessing only N1000 notes.

She explained further that it was only after the arrest was made and clarification received from the CBN that the agency found out that the position of the officials of the bank was not correct.

The officials had said that the ATMs were dispensing N5,000 to non-customers and N10,000 to its customers.

Ogugua said ICPC has also arrested a security guard, one Abdulkareem Shaibu, working with Zenith Bank, 3rd Avenue Gwarimpa, as well as Ali Adam and Shafiu Umar.

Shaibu, according to her, was arrested for being in possession of five ATM cards which he was using to collect money for unknown persons who were not within the bank premises.

Adam and Umar were arrested in front of Zenith Bank, 1st Avenue Gwarimpa, for selling the new Naira notes.