Ohha Microfinance Bank Ltd has sent an appeal to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun over non-refund of her fixed deposit by Sterling Bank Plc.

The Enugu based Microfinance bank accused Sterling Bank branch Manager in Enugu, Mr. Oliver Anidiobi, who is also the Account Officer of the Microfinance Bank of allegedly converting the petitioner’s fixed deposit in the sum of N219,034 901.50 (Two Hundred and Nineteen Million, Thirty Four Thousand, Nine Hundred and One Naira Fifty Kobo) into personal or bank’s use.

In a petition to the apex bank, EFCC and other relevant institutions, copies of which were made available to THEMOMENTNG over the weekend, Ohha Micro Finance Bank, through her counsel, Olu Omotayo, Esq, appealed to the relevant bodies to compel Sterling Bank to refund her the fixed deposit and accruing interests.

Ohha Microfinance bank in the petitions entitled, “Re: case of stealing by conversion the sum of N219, 034 901.50 (Two Hundred and Nineteen million thirty four thousand nine hundred and one Naira fifty kobo) by Sterling Bank Plc,” accused the bank of refusal to refund her the deposit.

“Sterling bank cannot deny knowledge of the criminal activities of the syndicate in the bank hence the protection of its’ officials. It took the bank over one month to turn over Mr. Oliver Anidiobi to operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), despite the fact that we notified the bank of this massive fraud perpetrated by its’ officials on the 5th January 2018.

“We submit without equivocation that all over the world banks owe their customers utmost duty of care and trust. A bank cannot open offices and put criminals therein and expect that it is the prospective customers that should investigate the uprightness of these elements. Sterling Bank has held out the manager of its’ Market Road branch as its’ agent and therefore the bank is vicariously liable for all its’ actions,” the petition stated.

In a written reaction sighted by our reporter, and signed on behalf of Sterling Bank Plc by Messrs Sa’id Balogun and Femi Aiyegbusi, associate counsel and senior chief counsel respectively, the bank stated that after comprehensive investigation of the alleged “fixed deposit” transaction with the bank, “we are unable to establish the existence of a fixed deposit investment by your Client.”

The bank further stated: “Even though your Client (Ohha Microfonance Bank Ltd) maintains two separate accounts with the Bank, there is no proof of funds transfer to a “fixed deposit account” in their name.

Furthermore, your Clients could not provide proof by way of a transfer instruction, cheque or investment directive to show that they parted with any consideration to warrant the issuance of the purported deposit certificates by the Bank, which deposit certificates are a product of forgery.

“We are loathe to believe that your client would hand over cash of this magnitude to Mr. Oliver Anidiobi (branch manager) without any proof of deposit, unless the transaction is a private arrangement between your goodseleves.

“Mr. Oliver Anidiobi has already been handed over to the Law Enforcement Agents for criminal offences that bother on forgery and the authorities are making progress in the their criminal investigation.

“Based on the foregoing, we are unable to accept your demand for a refund of this amount (N219, 034, 901.50) as there is no evidence that it was ever initiated with the Bank.”

Meanwhile, Anidiobi who was earlier handed over to the police by his employers, where he was detained for several days, has reportedly been picked up by the EFCC following a petition by Ohha Microfinance Bank.

When contacted, the spokesperson of EFCC, Chris Oluka said his office receives myriads of petitions on daily basis but that he was yet to be briefed on that particular case, and promised to revert to our reporter as soon as he get the details.

The Central Bank, in a memo sighted by our reporter, and dated March 5, 2018, had forwarded the petition to her Directorate of Consumer Protection for investigation and necessary action.