Skye Bank Manager Jailed for Diverting Customer’s N200m

By Dipo Olowookere

For defrauding and diverting N200 million belonging to a customer, a former manager of Skye Bank, Jos branch in Plateau State, Mr Tajudeen Yusuf, has been convicted and jailed for one year by Justice Ambrose Alagwa of Federal High Court 1, Jos.

The convict was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 5-count charge, following a complaint by his employers that he duped one Mr Usman Tetengi, a customer of the bank, to the tune of N200 million by issuing the victim a fake deposit certificate and diverting the money to personal use.

Count one of the charge read, “That you, Tajudeen Yusuf, (former manager Skye Bank Jos) sometime between the years 2010 and 2013, in Jos, Plateau State within the jurisdiction of this court, did with intent to defraud obtained monies, the sum of N200 million from one Alhaji Usman Tetengi under a false pretence that the said sum was to be kept as fixed deposit in Skye Bank Jos, for profit and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) and Punishable Under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 2016”.

Count two read, “That you, Tajudeen Yusuf (former manager, Skye Bank Jos) sometime in February, 2011 in Jos, Plateau State within the jurisdiction of this court, did make a false documents to wit; Skye Bank Deposit Confirmation Advice, with intent that it be used and acted upon as genuine, thereby Committed an offence contrary to Section 465 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and Punishable Under Section 467 of the same Act”.

In his judgment on Thursday, Justice Alagwa discharged and acquitted the convict on counts one, four and five but found him guilty on counts two and three and sentenced him to six months imprisonment on each of the counts.

However, the judge gave the convict the option of N100,000 fine.