16.6B FRAUD: POLARIS BANK, ACCOUNT OFFICER, DRAGGED TO COURT OVER UNAUTHORIZED WITHDRAWAL FROM CUSTOMERS ACCOUNT
A Federal High Court (FHC) sitting in Abuja, on Friday, ordered Mr Chinenye Duru, a Polaris Bank official and account officer to Mr Victor Onukogu (Daddy Hezekiah), to be remanded in a correctional facility over an alleged N16.6 billion fraud. Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the order after Duru was arraigned by the office of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and pleaded not guilty to the 11-count charge preferred against him. While the IGP is the complainant in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/603/2023, Polaris Bank Plc and Duru are 1st and 2nd defendants. The judge, who adjourned the matter until April 23, April 24 and April 25 for trial, ordered Duru to be remanded in a correctional centre, pending further orders of the court. In count one, Polaris Bank and Duru were alleged to have between Nov. 17, 2017, and Aug 14, 2023, fraudulently withdrew from Onukogu Victor Hezekiah’s account numbers: 1040495455 and 1060104735, domiciled with the bank the sum of 16 billion and 500 million naira. It