“Why I opened 25 bank accounts ” – Okonkwo, fraud suspect.

City Voice Published: March 10, 2014

A 39-year- old man, Okonkwo Nwachukwu who specialized in opening multiple accounts with different names is currently undergoing interrogation at the Special Fraud Unit after he was handed over to the police by suspicious bankers.
The suspect however said the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria forced him to open the 25 bank accounts with Zenith Bank.
A petition, dated 12th February 2014 to the Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit alleged that the suspect 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.
The Petitioner 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 25 savings account at various branches of the bank bearing different names.
It was also further alledged that he opened and operates a corporate account number belonging to Chukon Integrated Limited and he also identified himself as Okonkwo Nwachukwu when he opened the said account.
The suspect, who hails from Okija Ihiala LGA of Anambra State, said he is into cargo business and accompanies goods from China to Lagos. He stated that his office is located at Market Trade Fair, Lagos.
A confessional statement from the police obtained from the suspect reads:
“I opened the multiple accounts to enable me run my business successfully. The cashless policy does not allow me to withdraw huge sum of money in one account and, as such, I was advised to open multiple accounts so as to spread my money. I have N50,000.00 each in 15 different accounts while the remaining accounts have N20,000.00, N10,000.00 and N5,000.00 respectively. I forged the National Identity Card and PHCN bills through the help of one Pepper who is still at large. I came back from China on 27th January 2014 and started the multiple account opening from 5th February, 2014 to 7th February when I was apprehended.”
The Unit’s Spokes person, Ngozi Isintume Agu said investigation is on-going to unravel the suspect’s motive behind the multiple account opening.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of the Unit, Zubairu Muazu also advised banks to properly cross check and scrutinize their prospective account opening customers.
He commended the Zenith Bank management for their quick discovery of the antics of the fraudster and advised other banks to be at alert for such fraudsters whom it is believed work as a syndicate to defraud members of the public.