The recovered money by the Nigerian Police
The Nigerian Police command in Rivers State have recovered the sum
of N60. 250 million, belonging to one of the new generation banks in
Port Harcourt which was missing.
Revealing details of how the police successfully recovered the
money, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, in charge of Administration,
Uche Anozia, disclosed the recovered followed a report by a security
guard of a Super market in Port Harcourt in whose premises a vehicle
containing the missing cash was parked.
He said two banks in Port Harcourt, Zenith and Stanbic ITC, had
contracted the services of a Bullion van company in Port Harcourt, to go
and convey their monies from their branches at Aba Abia state. While
the service to Zenith was successfully completed and the amount
belonging to them delivered in the company of armed Soldiers that of
stanbic bank was not. The Soldiers disembarked the bullion van at Zenith
bank, leaving the portion meant for Stanbic with the driver alone with
the cash the vehicle.
He (driver), absconded with both the cash and vehicle for three
days Three days after, Monday July 11, cash of N60.250 million contained
in five bank sacks, marked and sealed with Stanbic ITC bank seal were
recovered by the Police in a Ford Explorer vehicle which whose glasses
were veiled with black waterproof bags and parked at the premises of a
Supermarket at the GRA area of Port Harcourt. The presence of the
suspicious vehicle in the supermarket car park was reported by the
security guard on duty at the supermarket. The police said both the
driver of the Ford vehicle, that of the bullion van and the security man
who reported the presence of the Ford vehicle in his business premises
are on the run.
The police said nobody is presently being questioned in connection
with the crime, but said efforts are being made to arrest the fleeing
driver and the complainant.
According to Vanguard, Unconfirmed story had it that the actual
amount Stanbic ITC bank was expecting from the Aba trip was about N100
million instead of the N60.250 million recovered.
The bank has however taken delivery of the amount so far seen.
Narrating the story in a news briefing in Port Harcourt Anozia, said “on
July 8,(last Friday), we received a report, by one Stanley Ndubuisi of
Bankers Warehouse, at number 36 Forces Avenue, Old GRA, Port Harcourt.
The company engages in Bullion Van hire services. Which are mostly
rented by banks to convey their cash to and fro.
“Last Friday, a bullion van was rented from the company, by
Zenith bank and Stanbic ITC bank in Port Harcourt to convey their cash
from their branches in Aba, Abia state to Port Harcourt for the two
banks.
“The Van was manned by a driver who drove the vehicle to Aba.
On his way back to Port Harcourt with the cash, the drivers was
according to the complainant was accompanied by Soldiers. When the
vehicle arrived into Port Harcourt, it went straight to deliver the
amount belonging to Zenith bank at Zenith bank.
“The complainant in his report said that after the van had
delivered that of Zenith bank, the Soldiers left and went back to their
duty posts, leaving the money for Stanbic bank with the driver alone.
Consequently, the driver absconded with the vehicle and the money.
Investigations commenced at that point.
“Then today, Monday, July 11, useful intelligence was received
by me in my office that a certain Ford Explorer vehicle was found parked
at the premises of a Supermarket, located at Number 2, Elelenwo street,
GRA phase 2, and that the vehicle had certain sacks contained in it,
but that what actually elicited the suspicion of the security officer of
this Super Market who reported the presence of the Ford Vehicle in
their premises is that the windows screen of the said Ford Explorer were
veiled with black waterproof bags and the vehicle is also owned by the
Bullion Van renting company.
“The complainant explained that when he stumbled on this
particular vehicle at the course of his duty of visiting round the
premises of the supermarket he is safe guarding, the state of the
vehicle elicited more suspicion.
“He told me that when he peeped closer inside the vehicle
through some tiny spaces apparently missed by the black veil, we
discovered that this vehicle contained some sacks resembling bank sacks,
stuffed with something he could not identify but suspected to be cash,
he came and reported to me.
“I immediately dispatched my Dc operation to go to the cite to
verify or invalidate the information, fortunately for us, when the
vehicle was opened, it was discovered that the sacks belong to Stanbic
ITC bank, because it had their seal. The sacks were opened in the
presence of members of the public, who convened at the scene, with video
recording on the vehicle done. Then the sacks were brought down and
opened one after the other, they were between five and six sacks.
“The content of the sacks is the evidence you have seen on the
ground here (pointing at the cash poured out on the ground), and the
total amount recovered according to the information and according to
what we have here is, N60.250m.
“Investigation is still on-going. The man that parked the
vehicle there is a driver to the Supermarket in whose premises the
Vehicle was parked. Both the driver and the complainant that reported
the case are presently on the run. “We are still on their trail as we
are still investigating the matter.”
Asked where the Ford Explorer is at present, he said it was
deflected and left where it was parked. But the Billion van used in
carrying the cash from Aba is also missing. On why the banks did not
make arrangements for armed security officers to accompany the cash till
it final destination said, the bank said security arrangements are
contained in the contractual agreement with the company.
“No security man escorted the bullion van. According to Stanbic
bank, they contract the Bullion van company, pay them for security, so
the Bullion van company provides security with the money given by the
bank,” he stated.
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