The new Naira notes
New Naira notes: ICPC discovers N258m stashed in Sterling Bank’s vault, arrests another manager for hoarding
Anti-graft agency, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) says its operatives have discovered the sum of N258 million in new Naira notes allegedly stashed inside the vault of Sterling Bank’s head office in Abuja.
Spokesperson for the commission Mrs. Azuka Ogugua, who disclosed this in a statement, Wednesday, said the discovery followed one of the Commission’s operations at ensuring that commercial banks and other interest groups do not flout the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directive on making the redesign naira notes available to Nigerians.
According to Mrs Ogugua, when the ICPC monitoring team visited the bank, last Friday, and discovered the stashed new Naira notes in the bank’s vault, it learnt the money was the remnant of what the CBN had given the bank for onward distribution to its branches.
“The team however found out that only the sum of Five Million Naira (N5m) each was distributed to their various branches.
“Both the Regional and Service managers were arrested and later granted administrative bail while investigation continues,“ Ogugua said.
Similarly, the Commission has arrested the Head of Operations, Keystone Bank, Mararaba in Nasarawa State for frustrating customers seeking to access the new Naira notes.
Ogugua explained that the ICPC team, while on its routine operation, found out that the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) at the branch were not dispensing cash to its customers, while other bank customers were accessing only N1, 000 only.
“The team also arrested one Abdulkareem Shaibu, a security guard with Zenith Bank, 3rd Avenue Gwarimpa, as well as, Ali Adam and Shafiu Umar for sabotage the availability of Naira notes
“While Shaibu, the Security Guard was arrested for being in possession of five ATM cards which he was using to collect money for different unknown persons who were not within the Bank premises at that time, Adam and Umar were arrested in front of Zenith Bank, 1st Avenue Gwarimpa, for selling the new Naira notes.
“In another development, two officials of FCMB Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo have been taken into custody for assault of officers of ICPC and CBN Cash Swap Monitoring Team.
“Recall that last week, the said branch was caught twice for loading wrapped bank notes inside its ATMs.
“The team, on a follow up visit to ascertain the bank’s compliance level, was assaulted right inside the Branch Manager’s office by the bank officials who vehemently refused to allow ICPC carry out its lawful duty, and then held hostage for about two hours.
“By the time the reinforcement of Police and NSCDC officers arrived the scene of the incident, the masterminds of the assaults had gone into hiding, leading to the arrest of two bank officers who were also complicit,” Ogugua explained in the statement.
