Heritage Bank has denied any involvement in an alleged N13billion fraud being bandied by a section of the media. A national newspaper had yesterday alleged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was investigating the bank’s Managing Director, Mr. Ifie Sekibo and other members of staff of the lender over the alleged N13billion belonging to the Oyo State government. But in a statement issued yesterday signed by its Group Head, Corporate Communications, Fela Ibidapo, the bank said none of its employees was involved in the alleged fraud.
The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to a newspaper publication and other online news on Sunday 27th August of an alleged N13billion fraud involving the Managing Director and other staff members of the bank of funds belonging to the Oyo State government.
“The management will want to categorically and unequivocally state that neither the MD – Mr. Ifie Sekibo nor any member of the management staff of the bank is being investigated by the EFCC on the alleged N13billion fraud. “Contrary to the false report released by the newspaper and other online news platforms, the EFCC had informed the bank of an account (not related to OYO state government as likewise verified by the Punch Newspaper via the State’s Finance Commissioner) being investigated by the agency.
“Over the last week, the bank has fully cooperated with EFCC by providing various documentations and also presented its staff in this regard. “Management finds it distasteful, unethical and unprofessional of these media houses to tarnish the image of Mr Ifie Sekibo – MD/CEO and the bank.”
The lender urged the general public to disregard the article in its entirety, stressing that it is false. Also, an official of the EFCC familiar with the investigation dismissed the newspaper report as a figment of the correspondent’s imagination, insisting that the investigation had nothing to do with the MD of Heritage Bank as an individual, rather routine investigation into possible red flags on an account with the bank. He said: “Investigation into accounts are routine matter which the EFCC and other anti-graft bodies undertake now and then.”
