The Police in Rivers State on Monday night reportedly recovered the sum of N60. 250 million, belonging to one of the new generation banks in Port Harcourt which was missing.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police, in charge of Administration, Uche Anozia, disclosed this in a news briefing in Port Harcourt, the state capital, Monday night.
Anozia who is on the Acting capacity, following the elevation of the last Commissioner of Police (CP), to the state, Foluso Adebanjo to the rank of Deputy Inspector-General of Police(DIG), and his subsequent redeployment, said the recovered followed a report Monday, 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.
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.” He said.
Asked where the Ford Explorer is at present 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 while 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.
The Police Boss advised Banks to ensure they assign some trusted members of their staff to accompany any vehicle conveying their cash, stressing that this would help in investigations when issues like this arises.
