The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arrested two bank officials and seven other Point of Sale (POS) operators in Abuja and Osun State or alleged sabotage.
A statement by the ICPC spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua, said on Friday, that the commission arrested a Branch Service Head of Stanbic IBTC Bank, whose name was not disclosed, at the bank’s branch in Deidei, a suburb of Abuja.
The commission also said its team arrested the Operation Manager of a branch of FCMB in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, as well as seven POS operators in other parts of the state capital.
The ICPC said the bank official arrested in Abuja was detained over the bank’s alleged refusal to upload cash into the branch’s Automated Teller Machines (ATM) even when it was available and people were lining up at the ATMs.
“When the ICPC monitoring team stormed the bank at about 1:30 p.m. to ensure compliance, and demanded an explanation as to why all the ATMs were not dispensing cash, it was informed by the branch’s Head of Operations that the bank just got delivery of the cash.
“However, facts available to the ICPC operatives indicated that the branch took delivery of the cash around 11:58 a.m. and either willfully or maliciously refused to feed the ATMs with the cash,” the statement said.
The commission said its team compelled the bank to load the ATMs with the redesigned naira notes and ensured that they were all dispensing before arresting the official.
It said investigations were still ongoing, adding that it would take appropriate actions after concluding the probe.
In a related development, the statement said its compliance team also arrested the Operation Manager of FCMB branch in Osogbo, Osun State capital.
The ICPC said it observed at the branch that some ATMs were loaded with cash with their wrappers un-removed, thus preventing the cash from being dispensed.
It said the team, therefore, directed that the wrappers be removed, and the cash loaded properly.
