FCMB Keeps Stolen N510,000 in Customer’s Account Despite Court Order to Release It to Owne

A businessman resident in Ibadan, Oyo State, has accused First City Momument Bank (FCMB) of refusing to release some of his funds deposited in an account belonging to a conman despite a high court order.

The businessman told FIJ that he sent N730,100 to a supposed currency exchange provider in exchange for pounds on April 22 not knowing he was a scammer.

“After I transferred the money, I noticed he didn’t transfer my money back. Immediately after that, I called FCMB, his bank, to help me keep his account on hold for me to get my money back,” he told FIJ. “But since it was on a weekend, they did nothing until Monday when they put a lien on his account.”

By the following Monday, the scammer had only N510,000 in the account, as he had spent some money over the weekend.

“After a while, FCMB asked me to get a lawyer, which I did. He did his work but FCMB said they would not release the N510,000 in his account until the scammer had up to the N730,100,” he said.

“My lawyer told FCMB that I was willing to take the N510,000 in the account. But since then, I have not got my money. I keep checking the guy’s account and the money is intact. The guy was called to deny the claim but he refused to show up when he was invited. So, my money is still hanging.”

FIJ learned that to make the bank release the money, the lawyer got an order from a high court sitting in Oyo, but that has changed nothing.

When FIJ emailed FCMB for comments on the matter, a respondent said the source was expected to liaise with their bank on the matter.