…EFCC Petitioned Since 2018 over Cover up Plot, Attempt on Scapegoating Dispatch Rider by First Bank Officials

A 38 years years-old man, Omeli Humphrey Darlington, is now living in fear for his life. He has petitioned the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, over alleged threat to his life, by some officials of First Bank Nigeria Plc, following a fraud case of N355 million, at the IBG section of the bank, in 2013.

The dispatch rider, who last worked at Iganmu, Lagos State Office of Final-IBG, in a petition dated May 20, 2020, stated that as at that time of the said the fraud was allegedly carried out by one Jaiyesimi Abimbola, a senior staff of First Bank Nigeria Plc.

He stated that the petition became necessary as he noticed that some powers from the First Bank were attempting to unlawfully take his life in order to cover up the alleged fraud.

According to the petitioner, he carried out his duties diligently as a dispatch rider without any blemish until sometime in Sept 2013, when the unfortunate fraud happened.

Humphrey noted in the petition obtained by The Street Reporters Newspaper that he reported to work on the fateful day and as usual was sent on errand to dispatch document to different places, and that quite unusually, his boss (Abimbola) summoned him to return to the office.

Humphrey narrated that on his arrival at the office, strange questions such as “who handed the document you went to dispatch?”, was what he was confronted with despite the fact that the pre-dispatch protocols conformed to the official norms which had guided operations since his resumption of duties as First Bank dispatch officer.

He noted that he was eventually handed over to the security post of the bank before he was shockingly taken to a police station. He further narrated that at the police station, he was asked to admit that he submitted or dispatched documents in error.

Humphrey said that it was at that instance that he knew that something was amiss, stressing that his boss, especially have committed a fraud and wanted to use him as scapegoat to cover up their transfer of the sum of N355 million, from a certain account belonging to Olams Nigeria Ltd, a company opposite the FBI regional branch in iganmu.

The petitioner stated that a cover up arrangement was used by the First Bank team, which involved departmental heads and the security personnel, to set him up until he was detained, tortured and charged to court.

Humphrey stated that his alleged torture and detentions happened at different police stations, before a magistrate court set him free.

According to him, he filed a suit for the abuse of his fundamental human rights and was granted judgment by the High Court which awarded him a compensation to over N17 million, due to the weight of the allegation.

Humphrey stated that prior to this triumph, “these evil men operating within the realm of Nigeria’s banking sector breaches the law,” kidnapped him bruised/threatened him severally until he now suffered auditory problem that make mucous gush out of his ear presently.

He noted on 10 page of the petition to the CP, that the day he was granted bail from the first police station security personnel, using the first bank vehicle, bundled him and tried to take him to some strange destination.

He alleged that while in the bank’s vehicle, the security men and a mobile police officers, dealt series of blows on him, using the gun butt, which made blood gush out of his mouth and nose.

According to him, this was done despite the bail condition fulfilled during his first arrest before he was again taken to Ikoyi police station after his fight for safety as they obviously had the intention to kidnap and probably kill him to cover up the fraud accusation against the First Bank officials.

He noted that this made him summon up courage and fought his way to safety by taking a drastic step to violently stop the vehicle, grabbed the key and stopped the engine, which attracted several road users who intervened, leading to the decision of the police to guarantee his safety.

He further alleged that First Bank officials used their influence to manipulated the police until he was charged and remanded in prison.

The traumatised dispatch rider described his ordeal as a tortuous experience spanning into months before his bail was perfected and released from prison custody.

He then alleged that has been getting strange calls, victimisation, stigmatisation  from people for a crime he did commit, and as a result of this, he hides from one uncompleted building to the other, for fear of being killed untimely.

The petition emphasised that his life is in danger and that the threats have made him a fugitive inside his home country when he did not commit any crime.

He alleged that highly placed First Bank Plc officials have intensified effort to frustrate him and conceal the fraud.

His counsel, Falana & Falana Chambers have petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) urging the Commission to investigate the N355 million fraud.

In a letter dated August 27, 2018, and addressed to the Chairman of the EFCC, seeking investigation into the alleged first bank fraud, his legal team corroborated the complaint’s claim.