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First Bank Employee on the Run after Allegedly Diverting N40Bn

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First Bank of Nigeria has initiated legal proceedings to recover substantial sums of money allegedly embezzled by an employee.

First Bank Employee on the Run after Allegedly Diverting N40Bn

The bank, which boasts a market capitalization of ₦829 billion, reported the incident to the Nigerian Police Force on March 25, 2024, and subsequently obtained multiple court orders to freeze accounts linked to the stolen funds.

The employee—who is currently at large—is accused of transferring those monies to 98 bank accounts—including his wife’s—that were identified as first beneficiaries.

The bank received three court orders between April 4–8, 2024, to block hundreds of bank accounts that were allegedly receiving the stolen funds after reporting the incident to the Nigerian Police Force on March 25, 2024.

While the initial amount found to be diverted was approximately ₦12 billion, three people with direct knowledge of the incident told TechCabal that it currently stands at approximately ₦40 billion ($29 million).

According to a First Bank employee with knowledge of the situation, the employee, named in court documents as Tijani Muiz Adeyinka, was authorized to handle customer reversals in her capacity as a manager on the electronic products team. It implied that he was in charge of an account from which he could credit merchant accounts and process those reversals.

Instead, Muiz allegedly used that power to credit customer requests for reversals to a merchant under his control. He purportedly did not require any additional authorizations because he was the team’s final line of authorization, which allowed him to continue misappropriating client funds for nearly two years without being discovered.

His plot was eventually uncovered when a client filed a complaint, which was then forwarded to the internal control department of the bank. After identifying multiple questionable transactions, the control unit informed the authorities.

“We hereby bring to your notice the discovery of fraudulent transactions into various transactions within and outside the bank and request your good offices to set up the machinery of investigation in place with a view to unravel the circumstances surrounding the said fraud and get the culprits apprehending to face the wrath of the law,” read a letter dated May 10, 2024, from First bank to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police.

First Bank ignored TechCabal’s repeated calls and emails asking for comments.

An inquiry for comments was not immediately answered by a Nigerian Police Force spokesperson. An inquiry for comments was not answered by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) spokesperson.

“I discovered that one Muiz Tijani Adeyinka, a former staff of First Bank was involved in the nefarious posting of fraudulent transactions,” read a statement from the investigating Police officer in charge of the case signed March 26, 2024.

“It was discovered that he made some fraudulent transactions to his wife’s account number (name withheld) domiciled with Zenith Bank, which in turn transferred to other beneficiaries totaling thirty-four accounts which also gave birth to second beneficiaries domiciled with other banks totaling 1,190 accounts,” the statement added.

First Bank did not disclose the amount of money that was stolen in any of the numerous court filings or complaints.

Along with requesting that the Police “unravel the circumstances surrounding the fraud,” it remained silent on how the money was acquired.

Fraud is still a major problem in Nigeria’s financial services sector, even though there was a decrease in cases reported in Q1 2024.

The largest banks in the nation are frequently the target of fraud attacks, despite fintech startups receiving disproportionate attention.

 


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E-Financial

MoneyMaster PSB Celebrates Customers at Owode Onirin Market

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In commemoration of the 2024 Customer Service Week, an annual celebration by businesses to appreciate customers’ loyalty and patronage, the MoneyMaster Payment Service Bank team on Friday visited the leaders of Owode Onirin iron and steel market in Lagos.

The team used the opportunity to educate traders and visitors on financial literacy and savings. Various banking channels and services were also introduced to them, while new account holders and transaction were rewarded with airtime and gifts.

Julius Arhebun, Head of Agency Business, MoneyMaster PSB, who spoke on Customer Service Week said: “As a customer-centric financial services brand, MoneyMaster is committed to delivering exceptional services, impactful lifestyle products and financial advisory services that help our customers to achieve their financial goals”.

He added that “As a digital bank, service is a competitive pivot for us and we pride ourselves as a beacon of excellence in customer experience. The bank will continue to introduce initiatives to reward and celebrate the millions of account holders who continue to trust us with their heard earned money”.

Alhaji Gafaru Waheed, Owode Onirin Market leader, praised MoneyMaster’s performance and support: “I’m delighted to associate with MoneyMaster. They’ve been supportive, and I enjoy our banking relationship.”

A leading digital financial services provider, MoneyMaster PSB is committed to deepening financial inclusion, bridging gaps between banked, underbanked and unbanked populations and transforming lives through innovative products and services.

 


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PalmPay MD Urges Fintech Leaders to Boost Investor Confidence for Increased Investment Across Africa

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PalmPay, an African-focused fintech company, has underscored the need for founders within the fintech ecosystem to boost investors’ confidence to drive more investment across the continent, saying that working closely with investors is vital to creating value.

Speaking at the recently concluded 2024 Nigeria Fintech Week in Lagos, Nigeria, held on October 8th and 10th, 2024, Managing Director, PalmPay Nigeria, Chika Nwosu stated that “The fintech ecosystem is not saturated but founders need to be mindful of building investor’s confidence amid currency devaluation and rising interest rates.

“We have seen that most of the currencies of sub-Saharan Africa have plummeted against the US dollar, including the Egyptian pound, Naira, Rand, Cedi, Congolese franc, and Kenyan shilling. This devaluation is impacting the value of investments, which in turn, lowers investor confidence and makes it difficult for fintech startups to secure funding.

Nwosu, who participated in a high-profile panel discussion themed “Safeguarding the Funding Pipeline for Fintech in Africa”, stated that founders can mitigate these challenges by diversifying their revenue streams and expanding into multiple geographical regions.

He noted that relying solely on one market can expose companies to regional economic volatility.

“By entering diverse markets, fintechs can spread their risk and minimize the impact of instability in any single region,” he said.

He gave the example of Palmpay being operational not only in Nigeria but also in Tanzania, Ghana, and other markets.

The 2024 Nigeria Fintech Week held under the overarching theme “Positioning Africa’s Fintech Ecosystem to Accelerate Growth,”  with a key focus on seeking more investors who see the long-term value of investing in Africa. The conference brought together industry leaders, policymakers, investors, and innovators to chart the future of Africa’s financial technology landscape.

According to the President of FintechNGR, Ade Bajomo, “Investments in the fintech sector in Africa declined significantly, dropping 77% to US$186 million from US$826 million in H1 2023. The number of deals decreased 30% year-on-year and average deal size fell to US$4 million in H1 2024 from US$10.5 million in H1 2023. However, we still have many growth opportunities in the continent.”

The panel session also weighed in on the need for founders to continuously engage with policy makers and regulators to stay informed.


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9 Payment Service Bank Celebrates 2024 Customer Service Week with Impressive Activities

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9 Payment Service Bank (9PSB), Nigeria’s leading digital payment service bank dedicated to advancing financial inclusion, celebrated the 2024 Customer Service Week, themed: “Above and Beyond.”

The celebration featured recognition of top performing Service Location Partners, an informative webinar for staff and partners, alongside cultural activities that underscored the bank’s dedication to exceptional customer service.

The week-long celebration, which took place from October 7th to 11th, united organizations worldwide to recognize the essential role of customers and partners in driving business success.

At the closing ceremony held at the bank’s headquarters in Lagos, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Branka Mracajac highlighted the significance of this year’s theme, which aligns with 9PSB’s mission to provide outstanding banking services.

“We are proud to join organizations around the world in expressing our heartfelt gratitude to our customers and Service Location Partners for their steadfast support and loyalty,” Mracajac stated.

“Our commitment to going ‘above and beyond’ is reflected in our innovative and tailored banking solutions. Our customer experience team is dedicated to ensuring that every interaction is positive and fulfilling.

Mracajac further remarked, “Today, we honour our customers and recognize our exceptional partners whose contributions have been integral to our success. Your efforts are invaluable, and we remain committed to delivering quality and outstanding service as we collectively strive to bridge the financial inclusion gap through our mission to Bank9ja.’”


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