EFCC Arrests First Bank Staff for N18m ATM Fraud

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

An employee of First Bank Nigeria Limited, Mr Philips Orumade, has been apprehended by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

According to a statement issued by the anti-graft agency on Tuesday, Mr Orumade was picked up by its officials from the Benin Zonal Office in Lagos.

The banker had been on the run after he allegedly stole over N18 million from the lender’s ATM gallery last year and disappeared into thin air.

In the statement, the EFCC said the suspect precisely went away with about N18.9 million from the Aduwawa branch of First Bank in Benin City, Edo State.

He allegedly committed the crime on November 3, 2019 after using the keys of the ATM gallery in his possession to gain access into the facility.

“Orumade, who was said to be in charge of ATM gallery keys at Aduwawa branch of the bank, on November 3, 2019 allegedly disappeared with the said amount and efforts to trace him proved abortive,” the statement from the agency said.

It was stated that the “suspect was captured by the CCTV footage, walking into the ATM gallery, before using a nylon bag to cover the CCTV. The suspect has been on the run and was recently apprehended in Lagos.”

Meanwhile, the EFCC said Mr Orumade has made useful statements and will soon be charged to court as soon as investigations are completed.”