FRAUD ALERT:ECOBANK NIGERIA,DUPED ALABA INTERNATIONAL TRADERS.

Last year August 2011,a group of Alaba international traders protests at three Ecobank Nigeria branches in the market over failure of the bank to remit $1million dollars(N154 million naira) to their foreign partners in Asia, thereby demanding refund of their money.

The aggrieved customers claimed to have paid an equivalent sum in naira to 3 branches of which they asked the bank to change to dollars and afterwards send to their business partners in China.They lamented rather than send the money,the bank claimed that a particular mallam carted it away.

One of the affected customers of the Ecobank,Mr.Obi Chris Osita,(brother to Mr.Afam Obi,CEO of Afam Investment Ltd,a china based businessman) an electronics dealer claimed in a petition sent to the managing director,Ecobank,dated 19 September ,2011 how he lodge various sum of money between September 1 and 8 totaling N20.79million in exchange for $135,000 which sum is yet to be transferred.The two-page document reads in part.

Till date Ecobank has neither given company the said sum of $135,000USD nor refund N20.79million.

Reacting to the development, the executive chairman International Market Association (Electronics) Chief Celestine Ezeani said he felt very sad because the matter involved members of his association and Ecobank,which he described as equally being a member of the union.

Chief Ezeani affirmed that it was common knowledge that the bank has been dealing in forex,in the market for a long time, and wondered why the bank failed to invite the aggrieved customers for verification and ratification before purportedly relieving there officers involved in the transfer there jobs.

“For them to now say they relieved those staff of their duties without finding out what went wrong and how to address it, was what triggered off the whole matter.

All efforts, including inviting EFCC remain unfruitful. Mr Afam Obi hereby alert the general public on the fraudulent activities of Ecobank and its staffs.Calling on good citizens of Nigeria and President Goodluck Jonathan to investigate Ecobank,it’s a 419 bank.

Its now a year and no justice done.We cannot allow this to sweep under the carpet. We have accumulated a huge loss and damages both in businesses and families due to this Ecobank fraud.We need our money as soon as possible.