‘It was a legitimate operation’ — Union Bank, Bankers Warehouse speak on $2.8m seized by EFCC

The management of Union Bank has explained that the men who were arrested at the Enugu Airport by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were on a legitimate assignment.

EFCC operatives had paraded two men on Friday as alleged fraudsters who were in possession of $2.8 million.

In tweets posted on its official Twitter page, Union Bank explained that the operation was licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“Movement of cash across states is routine for all bank. Bankers Warehouse is licensed by CBN to provide Cash-in-Transit services,” the bank said.

“We are surprised by the release of a news bulletin prior to the completion of @officialefcc investigation. This is a legitimate and routine operation consistent with banking.”

1: Movement of cash across states is routine for all banks.

— Union Bank of Nigeria (@UNIONBANK_NG) December 21, 2018

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2: Bankers Warehouse is licensed by CBN to provide Cash-in-Transit services

— Union Bank of Nigeria (@UNIONBANK_NG) December 21, 2018

Similarly, Bankers Warehouse has reacted to the development by writing the CBN.

In a letter addressed to the CBN deputy governor, Lawrence Ijebor, Bankers Warehouse head of operations, said the EFCC insisted on detaining their employees despite the means of identification provided.

“Despite the information provided, the EFCC insisted on detaining our employees, taking possession of our goods and threatening to confiscate the currency, without making themselves available to our senior managers or other agencies familiar with our movements,” the letter read.

“We seek your intervention as our regulator, to address this issue of constant harassment of our staff, by security agencies.”