A middle-aged man, identified as Sunday Akande, is being detained by the police at Fege, Anambra State for reporting suspicious transactions on his account to the officials of his bank.
Akande was said to have received an alert of a N100,000 lodgment made into his account with a first generation bank (names withheld) and unable to ascertain the source of the fund, he immediately reported the development to the officials of the bank.
Our correspondent, however, gathered that an argument ensued between Akande and some officials of the bank over the matter. Allegedly angered by the way and manner the fraud was reported to them, the bank officials invited policemen from Fege Police Station, Onitsha, to arrest the customer over his undisclosed role in the fraudulent transaction on his account.
According to a source, Akande had noticed a suspicious banking transaction on his account and received an alert of N100,000 credit, “Sunday promptly alerted the bank officials at the Warri branch of his bank. His Good Samaritan’s role was misconstrued by the bank officials, who in-turn informed the police about the development. He was promptly invited by the police attached to Fege Police Station, Onitsha, who consequently clamped him into detention”.
It was learnt that the police at Fege refused to release the detained bank customer, inspite of his lawyer’s assurance that he would be produced on demand.
The plan of The polIce Is To Take me to a court, where I may be remanded as awaITIng TrIal for offence noT commITTed. now I am beIng held by The polIce agaInsT my wIll
Also, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, was said to have ordered the release of the detained bank customer, following a complaint by his family members, who paid the police boss a courtesy visit. But the policemen at Fege have held on to him.
A police constable at Fege Police Station, who pleaded anonymity, however told our correspondent that “the police at Fege are annoyed because the family members of the detained citizen by-passed them to meet with the Commissioner of Police, which is considered an affront by any standard.
“Why did the lawyer go above our DPO here at Fege to request a release from the commissioner’s office? Why did the lawyer and his family members cook up reports bordering on misconduct of the police to the Police Complaint Unit? They are the one punishing the boy. We are not the one. We want them to learn a lesson”.
The police constable further said, ”Sunday did not have anything in writing to prove he knew nothing about this mysterious N100.000.00 before they (police) put in their order to freeze his bank account”.
Sunday, in his detention cell, told our Correspondent that he was at the bank the day he received the alert on his phone.
“I received the mysterious alert on July 8th, 2016 and I promptly informed the bank officials. I suspect the police at Fege station want to punish me and my family members for doing the right thing.
“The plan of the police is to take me to a court, where I may be remanded as Awaiting Trial for offence not committed. Now I am being held by the police against my will.
Sunday, until his arrest by the police, lived with his parents in Warri, Delta State.
Also speaking with our correspondent on the issue, a family member of the detainee, Mr. Adesola Kazeem, urged the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to intervene in the matter.
“I want the IGP, Mr. Ibrahim Idris or DIG Foluso Adebanjo, to use their good offices to look into the matter, in the hope that Sunday would be released immediately,” he said.
