Farmer Forges Signatures, Steals Over N2m From Bank

A 54-year-old farmer has been arrested by the Police Special Fraud Unit, SFU, Milverton Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, over alleged fraudulent withdrawals of money from customers’ accounts in a new generation bank.
GODWIN-DIAVELThe suspect, Godwin Diavel, has allegedly succeeded in withdrawing about N2 million from different customers’ accounts within and outside Lagos.


But he met his waterloo, last Thursday, after he went to the Ogba branch of a new generation bank to withdraw N500,000 from the account of one Saheed Ademola Adegbola with a forged signature.
Explaining how he was arrested, spokeswoman for the Unit, Ngozi Nsintume-Agu, said on noticing that the picture on the bank’s system was different from the customer’s, the cashier posed some questions which the suspect, who hails from Oghare in Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State, could not answer and subsequently, contacted the unit.

Chronicle of his fraudulent withdrawals
Preliminary investigation, according to Nsintume-Agu, revealed that the suspect had been engaged in the fraudulent act for long, using pseudonyms.
According to her, “sometime in February 2014, the suspect was arrested at the Ejigbo branch of the bank where he identified himself as Peter Okoro while attempting to seek information on another customer’s account. He was subsequently held and handed over to the Police.
“Also on October 4, 2013, he was caught at Opebi branch where he identified himself as Samson Omobo and fraudulently impersonated another customer and attempted to withdraw N300,000.00 from the customer’s account.

“Similarly, on January 29, 2014, the suspect was at Ilupeju branch of the bank and impersonated one Sunday Onwuabaizo and successfully withdrew N470,000.00 from his account.
“Again, on November 19, 2013, he was at Abule Egba branch of the same bank where he impersonated one Chinedu E. Onwutaly and fraudulently withdrew N220,000.00.
“Also sometime in 2013, he was at Abraka branch of the bank where he succeeded in withdrawing N470,000 from the account of one Kabiru Mohammed Baday.
Source - Vanguard