by ‘Jola Sotubo
A man in Ogun has been arrested over reports that he opened an account for a suspected fraudster who was in prison custody.
29-year-old warden, Joseph Emmanuel is said to have opened the bank account for the inmate, known simply as ‘Ora’, using the name Monsuru Ogunsina Adeogun belonging to a taxi driver in the prisoner’s neighbourhood.
The incident occurred at the old state prison in the Ibara area of Abeokuta, the state capital where Emmanuel works and Ora is being held.
One Mary Ogunariwo, a student with the Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu Ode, is also said to have opened an account for the prisoner in her name. Ogunariwo and the taxi driver were both arrested.
P.M. News reports:
He took the step after he rejected the entreaties of the inmate to avail him of his account number. Having made a promise to help the inmate with an account number, Emmanuel threw caution and his work ethics to the wind and went ahead to open an account, in the name of Adeogun, a father of four.
Investigations showed that, after filling out the account opening documents and observing all account opening formalities Emmanuel received the withdrawal booklet and an ATM card to the account.
He handed the withdrawal booklet to Adeogun and according to him, “I took the ATM card to Ora (the inmate) and I helped him make three withdrawals from the account, until the fourth time when the ATM machine rejected the card and I called Adeogun to bring the withdrawal booklet, and it was that Tuesday (March 5, 2014) that Adeogun was arrested at the bank and I came down to EFCC to see him the following day and I was also detained for my involvement”.
According to Mary, “I went to the Abeokuta prisons to seek for an Industrial Attachment placement, but was told that I have to go to the Head Office, but before I could leave, an inmate who introduced himself as ‘Timilehin’ approached me and pleaded with me to help him open an account for him with my name so that I can help him withdraw money whenever his family pays in money into the account”.
Both Adeogun and Mary Ogunnariwo were arrested the same day and at the same bank and brought to the office of the EFCC together.
The suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.
