Two FCMB Staff Reportedly Stole N13.5m From Bullion Van

Two workers with the First City Monument
Bank Plc, Adeyemi Adebayo, 32, and
Ogundare Julius, 46, have been arraigned
before an Ebute-Meta Magistrate’s court
for allegedly stealing €50,000 belonging to
the bank.
The men were asked to transport the
money in a bullion van from the bank’s
headquarters at Marina, Lagos, to a
branch of FCMB at Adetokunbo Ademola,
Lagos Island.
Adebayo, the cash transit officer,
allegedly connived with Julius, the bullion
driver, to divert the money to an agreed
place.
The matter was said to have been
reported at the police station when the
bank officers at the receiving branch did
not see the funds.
They were subsequently arrested and
arraigned on Tuesday on four counts of
conspiracy and stealing.
The charges reads in part, “That you,
Adeyemi Adebayo and Ogundare Julius,
on December 31, 2013, at First City
Monument Bank Plc Headquarters,
Marina, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial
District did conspire between yourselves
to commit felony to wit: Stealing.
“That you being the cash transit officer
and bullion driver respectively to First City
Monument Bank Plc, Marina in the
aforesaid magisterial district, did steal the
sum of €50,000, property of FCMB.”
The police prosecutor, Inspector George
Nwosu, who stood in for the resident
prosecutor, ASP Etim Ekankuk, said the
offences were punishable under sections
409, 18, 72, 285 of the Criminal Law of
Lagos State, Nigeria 2011.
The defendants said they were not guilty
and elected summary trial.
The defence counsel, Ola Ogunbiyi and
Lekan Ayinla, asked for the defendants
bail in liberal terms.
The magistrate, Mrs Demi Ajayi, admitted
the defendants to bail in the sum of N1m
each with two sureties in like sum.
“The sureties must be at least 40 years,
gainfully employed and resident in Lagos.
One of the sureties must be a blood
relation of the defendants with evidence
of tax payment and affidavit of means.
The address and means of livelihood of
the sureties must also be verified,” she
added.
The matter was adjourned till February
19, 2014 for mention.