Skye Bank in ₦16.9m Scam … Details of How EFCC Nabbed Three Staffs

Kehinde Durosinmi-Etti

When a handshake reaches the elbow, it’s a sign of danger. The rate of fraud perpetuating Skye bank has become a thorn in the flesh to customers who are now jittery over the safety of their hard earned money.

Most recently, three former bankers with the Kehinde Durotimi-Etti led Skye Bank Nigeria Plc,  were on Tuesday, May 27, 2014 arraigned before Justice Akindavid Oladimeji of  Osun State High

Court, Ile-Ife on separate charges,  all bordering on failure to exercise due diligence, forgery and conspiracy to commit fraud involving a sum of N16,891,100 (Sixteen Million, Eight Hundred and Ninety-One Thousand, One Hundred Naira).

The accused persons: Foluso Opayinka, Ebenezer Adeyemi and Esan Okunola were former employees of Skye Bank, Ila-Orangun branch, Osun State. While Opayinka was arraigned on three count charges, Ebenezer Adeyemi and Esan Okunola were arraigned on one count each.

When the charges were read to them, they all pleaded not guilty.

In view of their plea, prosecuting counsel, Zainab Ettu informed the court that she was ready for trial and sued for the remand of all the accused persons in prison custody.

However, counsel to the third accused person, Abiodun Olaide, prayed the court to admit his client to bail. Counsel to the first accused person, Dotun Olaniyan, and counsel to the second accused person, Debola Adeyemi, aligned their submissions with Olaide's prayers and urged the court to be liberal on its bail conditions.

Justice Oladimeji, after listening to their submissions, adjourned the matter till May 30, 2014 for ruling on bail applications and ordered that the accused persons be remanded in Ile-Ife prison.

The accused persons got into trouble when they fraudulently transferred money to the tune of N16,891,100.00( Sixteen Million, Eight Hundred and Ninety One Thousand, One Hundred Naira) from the account of a customer, Global Link Consolidated Services Limited, into twenty( 20) different accounts without the authority and consent of the account holder.

Investigations showed that, Opayinka, a marketing support staff in the bank, initiated the scam. He was aided by Adeyemi, a customer care officer and Okunola, the manager of the branch where the transactions took place. The beneficiaries of the money transfers did not sign any paper because Adeyemi allegedly used fake transaction reference numbers and the manager assented to it.