Court Jails FCMB Bank Manager for 121 years Over N112m fraud

A bank manager with First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Nwachukwu Placidus has been jailed for 121 years over N112 million fraud.

ENigeria News reports that Justice S. N. Odili of the Anambra State High Court sitting in Onitsha, Anambra State, has convicted and sentenced a former bank manager in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nwachukwu Placidus, to a cumulative 121 years imprisonment for diverting fixed deposit funds of a customer to the tune of N112.1 million for his personal use.

A statement released by EFCC today May 4 says he was arraigned on Tuesday, March 27, 2018, on 16-count charges bordering on forgery, stealing, obtaining by false presence and uttering, by the anti-graft agency.

One of the counts reads

“Nwachukwu Placidus between February 2009 and November 2014 in Onitsha, Anambra State within the jurisdiction of the Anambra State High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud obtained the sum of (N112,100,000) One Hundred and Twelve Million, One Hundred Thousand Naira only, from Idemili Microfinance Bank under the false pretence that you have placed the said money in a fixed deposit account with First City Monument Bank PLC for it, which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence”.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him, thus setting the stage for his trial.

During the trial, the EFCC, through its counsel, Mainforce Adaka Ekwu presented four witnesses and tendered several relevant documents admitted in evidence.
In his judgment, Justice Odili held that “the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt” and sentenced the convict to nine years imprisonment on count 3, 4 years on count 4 and 9 years on counts 5 to 16 respectively. He was discharged on counts 1 and 2. The sentences shall run concurrently.

The court further ordered the convict to restitute the sum to his victim, Idemili Microfinance Bank.

Placidus’ journey to the Correctional Centre began when a petitioner, Idemili Microfinance Bank LTD, alleged that the sum of N112,100,000 was handed over to him as the branch manager of FCMB in Onitsha, for a fixed deposit.

However, when the petitioner approached the bank to terminate and withdraw the deposit, the bank denied receiving the said funds.

Upon receipt of the petition, the EFCC swung into action and investigations revealed that the convict diverted the money for his own use and issued a fake fixed Deposit Certificate to the petitioner

FCMB And A Deluge Of Scandals

FCMB is not new to scandals and this may be another one of such kind. From incessant service downtime to alleged sex scandals, alleged fraud – they have had it all.

For Instance, in 2020, the bank was enmeshed in a multi-million naira scandal involving a controversial cleric, Prophet Emmanuel Omale, the general overseer of Divine Hand of God Prophetic Ministries International.

In the media report which went viral, it was alleged that Prophet Omale had received N573 million to purchase a property in Dubai for Ibrahim Magu, the suspended chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The said transaction bypassed due process, hence Adam Nuru, managing director of FCMB, was invited by the presidential investigation commission of inquiry for questioning.

In a bland and vague defense, Nuru while admitted that there was an error on the alleged money credited to Omale.
As though it weren’t enough, in 2021, yet again Adam Nuru was enmeshed in a paternity scandal that shook the bank to its very roots.

ENigeria Newspaper reports that till date, the sex scandal involving Adam Nuru and a married subordinate, Moyo Thomas remains fresh in the heart of aggrieved Nigerians and friends of Tunde Thomas, husband to Moyo who died in the process after finding out the true paternity of the children he thought were originally his. READ MORE

Source: ENigeria Newspaper