Marketer arrested after absconding with bank customer's deposits

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It was gathered that Abiodun was contracted from Strategic Outsourcing Limited in the Lekki area of the state in 2013, and his job was to market the bank's products to some traders in designated areas and in the process, he collected the money from one Mrs. Nneka Eze, a trader in Lekki, and two others, identified only as Ebulu and Chidera.

The 28-year-old suspect had reportedly obtained the sums from the traders sometime in July 2015, but disappeared from the bank in November, when the fraud was discovered.

The bank was said to have reported the crime to the company through which Abiodun was employed and the chief security officer of the firm consequently reported the case at the Ajah Police Division.

The suspect was later tracked down and arrested at his house on March 7, 2016.

In his statement to the police, Abiodun agreed that he had indeed collected the money but had used it to pay the medical bills of his mother who had a stroke and had intended to refund the money piecemeal from his salaries, adding that he had repaid N50,000.

“I am a contract worker with the bank and I have been working there for three years. It is true that I collected N309,000 from the bank customers. But I used the money to treat my mother who had a stroke. I travelled in November to attend to her. I have paid N50,000 to the bank. I intend to pay the balance in instalment from my salary.”

When the one count charge of stealing was read to the accused, he pleaded not and elected summary trial.

He was however, granted bail by the presiding magistrate, Ade Adefulire, in the sum of N400,000 with two sureties in like sum, while the matter was adjourned till April 20, 2016.