By Wisdom Patrick, Lagos

The Special Fraud Unit has arrested one Okonkwo Nwachukwu who specialized in opening multiple accounts with different names to defraud banks, other financial institutions and unsuspecting members of the public.

Ngozi Isintume-Ago, spokesperson for SFU, who confirmed the development to our Correspondent, stated that the suspect Okonkwo Nwachukwu, sometime in January this year had appeared at Amuwo Odofin Branch of Zenith Bank to open a savings account and presented an already completed savings account opening package with the name Obiozor Ifeanyi and identified himself as such with a National Identity Card.  She disclosed that it was the bank management that reported the incident to the law enforcement agents at SFU through a petition.

She stated further that while the Customer Service office was checking the documents, the suspect went to the Marketing Unit and collected another savings account opening package and completed same with another name Ogueji Nnamdi and returned to the Customer Service Desk and presented same for account opening with another National Identity Card bearing Ogueji Nnamdi.

The petitioner added that this attempt to open another savings account within minutes with another identity, made the Customer Service Officer to be suspicious and consequently, she decided to search the system with phone number 08162502677 supplied by the customer and discovered that the same person had already opened about twenty-five (25) savings account at various branches bearing different names.

It was also further alleged that he opened and operates a corporate account number 1012000129 belonging to Chukon Integrated Limited and he also identified himself as Okonkwo Nwachukwu when he opened the said account.

The suspect, Okonkwo Nwachukwu is  39 years old from Okija Ihiala LGA of Anambra State.  He is into cargo business and accompanies goods from China to Lagos.  He stated that his office is located at Block 4, Shop 169 A.P.T. Market Trade Fair, Lagos.

The suspect confessed to the alleged crime but stated that the multiple accounts he opened was to enable him run his business successfully.  That the cashless policy does not allow him to withdraw huge sum of money in one account and as such, he was advised to open multiple accounts so as to spread his money.

He added further that he hasN50,000.00 each in 15 different accounts while the remaining accounts have N20,000.00, N10,000.00 and N5,000.00 respectively.  He equally confessed that the National Identity Card and PHCN bills were all forged by one ‘Pepper’ who is still at large. The suspect came back from China on 27th January 2014 and started the multiple account opening from 5th February, 2014 to 7th February when he was apprehended.

Police said that investigation was on-going to unravel the suspect’s motive behind the multiple account opening.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of the Unit, DCP Zubairu Muazu,  advised the bank management to properly cross check and scrutinize their prospective  customers.  He commended the Zenith Bank management for their quick discovery and advised other banks to be at alert for such scammers whom it is believed work as a syndicate to defraud members of the public.