Heritage Bank denies involvement in N150m fraud

Heritage Bank has denied involvement in a reported N150 million fraud.

The Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police Force had on Monday paraded three bankers it described as staff of a second generation bank, without mentioning the specific bank, as part of a syndicate that defrauded customers of over N150 million in connivance with agents of MTN and some fraudsters.

Following the report, some media outlets had alluded that the bankers were staff of Heritage Bank.

But the bank, in a statement on Tuesday, denied that its staff were involved.

It said: “Our attention has been brought to the report published by an online news blog, Per Second News, in which it was purported that ‘three of Heritage Bank staff’ were involved in an N150million fraud in collusion with two of MTN’s staff.

“Heritage Bank Plc wants to categorically state that the following persons said to have been the perpetrators of the fraud; Oyelade Shola-Isaac, 32, Osuolale Hammid, 40, and Akeem Adesina, 33 were never staff of Heritage Bank Plc at any time.

“We wish to make it clear that Heritage Bank disproves the antics of such blogger, who seems determined to discredit the institution, even to the extent of risking being seen clearly as careless and unprofessional. We consider it our duty to continue to provide our stakeholders with accurate information where it concerns us, as your confidence and support is of utmost importance to us.”