Nigeria Content Online

Three
private guards attached to the United Bank of Africa UBA, Ogba branch,
in Lagos, are being quizzed by the police after a backpack belonging to
a customer disappeared from the bank’s lockers.

The
customer, identified only as Mr. Bello, had reportedly placed his
backpack containing a brand new HP laptop and the sum of N100,000, with
other belongings in the locker provided by the bank before entering the
banking hall. Shortly after his transaction in the bank, he came out
and found that the locker in which he kept his bag had been opened but
the bag containing his laptop, cash, and other belongings had been
removed.

Shocked beyond words

“I
kept the bag containing the laptop and the money with my phone charger
inside the locker the bank provided. I locked it with the padlock the
bank also provided and went inside the banking hall to pay in a cheque.
I did not spend more than 15 minutes but by the time I came out, the
locker I kept my belongings was opened.

“I
could not believe my eyes because my bag and other belongings were not
there. I raised an alarm and called the attention of the chief security
officer of the bank, because he was standing outside the banking hall
when I passed him and other security men. The amazing thing is that I
was still holding the key of the locker I kept my bag in. It was not as
if they destroyed the padlock; they just succeeded in opening the
padlock and they took my bag, despite the fact that they have security
men and mobile policemen protecting the bank. A customer said he saw a
man opening the locker and walking away with my bag, but the UBA
security was not vigilant,” Mr. Bello said.

The case was reported to the Area “G” police command on August 30, 2010.

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gathered that the police invited three of the security guards from the
Technocrime private security company to explain their role in the
disappearance of the bag.

They
are Mohammed Audu, Edwin Umohe, and Moses Ogala. A transaction officer
of the bank, Mr. Hammid, and the branch manager, Mr. O. Fidelis were
also invited by the police in connection with the stolen bag.

Denials

Mr. Umohe, who is the chief security officer of the bank, denied the allegations.

“I
do not know anything about this stealing. When the customer came in, I
did not see him. I got a call that there was a situation inside the
banking hall and I went to attend to it. By the time I came back, I
heard that the locker has been opened, so I do not know anything,” Mr.
Umohe said.

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further gathered that the arresting officers on Wednesday stormed the
houses of both Mr. Umohe and Mr. Audu and conducted a diligent search
at their apartments at Agege. The officers declined to speak to the
press on the issue.

When contacted, the police spokesperson, Frank Mba, said he had not
been informed about the incident. Also contacted on the matter was the
spokesperson for UBA, Charles Aigbe, who said he had equally not been
briefed on the issue. “You know that there is a process, I will call
the branch to get details,” he said. Subsequent attempts made to reach
him were not successful.

In
a related case, also on the same day, a lady, Bimbo Alabi, reported a
case of stolen handbag at the First Bank branch, also at Ogba.

Mrs
Alabi went into the bank on Acme Road after leaving her handbag in the
locker, but by the time she came back, her bag had been stolen.

The Area “G” police officers are quizzing the branch manager,
identified as Mr. Alonge and two other security men in connection with
the case.