AGAIN!  EFCC Arrests Abuja Bank Manager For  Hoarding N29m New Banknotes

By Damilare Adeleye

An operations manager of one undisclosed commercial bank in Abuja Central Area was reportedly arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Commission on Monday.

It was learnt that the manager was apprehended for refusing to load the Automated Teller Machines of the bank despite that the bank had over N29million of the new naira notes in the branch’s vaults.

The Head, Media and Publicity of EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, revealed this in a statement obtained by our correspondent on Monday.

According to him, before the syndicate was taken away for further questioning, the operatives ordered the loading of all the ATMs and the payment of the stipulated amount across the counter to the delight of the distraught customers who had spent hours on queues without getting the new notes.

Uwujaren also noted that this discovery, which indicated a sabotage of the government’s monetary policy by some banks, was made by the EFCC in continuation of the ongoing surveillance and visit to banks across the country to access their vaults and verify whether they were deliberately refusing to dispense the redesigned naira notes.

He said, “More than five bank branches were covered on Monday by the EFCC operatives in Abuja, similar exercises are ongoing in zonal commands across the country.

“The operation will continue until normalcy is restored to the banking system.

“Nigerians finding it difficult to access their funds at any bank and suspects foul play should contact the commission, for immediate intervention.”