Business Man Laments Breech of Trust from Zenith Bank, calls on Police to Investigate forging of his signature & Manipulation of accounts

Mr. Idoko Collins Chidozie, the managing director of PETERFAN NNELINC GLOBAL LTD has lamented the breech of trust by Zenith Bank Plc, of 50 New Market Road Onitsha, Anambra state, over a loan advanced to him, which the bank did not allow him to have access to. 

Speaking to newsmen at his office in Ontisha on 23/01/2024, Mr Idoko, narrated his ordeal with the bank, a condition he said, has led to the crumbling of his business concern which has further thrown him off balance because of the breach of trust from Zenith Bank plc. 

He said "the problem started from Peterfan Nnelinc Global Ltd company account, in 2021, when Zenith Bank advanced a loan to us, which we however didn't solicit, as they begged to give us for the loan, through my account officer Obinna Nnodum.  The loan was an sme facility that came in two tranches of 7 and 15 Million respectfully, because the account was very active."

He further stated that when the loan was given to the company, he did not even access the loan which was immediately sabotaged by the bank through an unauthorized and arbitrary freezing of the account. He said, he was shocked to note that on that fateful day, he could not transact on his Zenith App and wondered what the problem was, this made him to visit the bank, and was surprised that his account was indeed frozen by the bank without notice.

He said, "I went to the Zenith Bank branch of N50 New Market Road, Onitsha, to know why it was frozen and in my efforts to know what happened  to my account, the bank staff started intimidating me, and lied that the Nigeria Police force froze my account. I told them that if the police has frozen my account, and if I have committed any fraud, that this is the best opportunity for them to call the police, as I am in the bank.  I asked them to call the police which they refused doing. I tried in seeing to it, that the issue was resolved amicably, as they could not provide any evidence or court order, that gave them the power to freeze my account, but they stood their ground, which made me to institute a case against the bank's illegal hold on my account, as they don't have the right to freeze my account. The court ordered Zenith Bank Plc to unblock my account, which they did after they have put my account on negative balance. " 

He said that the loan  which was given to his company, was a term loan which drops monthly, find attached copies; and that even while putting a hold on his account, the bank were still withdrawing the funds monthly during the court case, without him having access to the funds, amounting to breach of trust, which in all intents is a criminal conspiracy against him and his company, which frustrated the company's business. 

He said, " I called Obinna Nnodum my account officer, and told him that the bank blocked my account and in the process,  Zenith Bank was still withdrawing the said loan while the court process was on, he did not do much as he only said it was system error, in the process, they encroached into my Pesonal Enterprise Account, of  Chido and Sons Multilink Co Nig, in a bid to recover the said loan for Peterfan Nnelinc Global Ltd and debited the account to the balance of N - 16,554,280.12. ."

"All this happened in my Personal Enterprise account of Chido and Son Multilink Co Nig as funds where pulled from it without my consent and credited to  Peterfan Nnelinc Global Ltd company account in their bid to ensure they recovered a loan I did not use. Is that not wickedness,”

Mr. Idoko however opined that the court ruling to unblock his account and directives for him to file a N100M damages against the bank made the bank to file for appeal to ensure they stopped him from getting cost of the ruling.  He said that "when i filled a new case to get damages for breach of trust, Zenith Bank went and filled an appeal for us to forfeit the issue of damages for 100M, which was as a result of the breech caused the company, as funds and businesses were lost during the process of the arbitrary freezing of the account."

He said however that " how do you expect me to pay for a loan I never accessed?. You spoilt my business during the time I needed the money most for the season of December, and the whole money our customers paid in to clear their goods which cost us a fortune and you want us to forfeit it. We got the ruling and instead of coming for us to chart a new course in resolving the issues, the bank caused us, they said I should continue paying for the loan which I did not use and I refused, reason they put my Personal Enterprise Account on debit of N -16,554,280.12.” 

He said it's very wicked of Zenith Bank Plc, as this may have been happening to others too. He lamented that, how can his company be given a loan, and in the process, the bank arbitrarily frezed the account, and the same Zenith Bank continued withdrawing money and, continued unabated without an form of remorse and apology on how to move forward, rather they continued in their old and wicked ways. 

“They did not even say, okay we have wronged you, as this has happened, let us restructure the loan so that we can do business, they did not do it. I told them I cant pay until I am paid the damages which I have sued for, and that from there we can counter balance,and in their lawlessness they started debiting my personal account on funds paid in by someone who we did not even know, until the same bank officials from the bank directed them to us.  They debited my Personal Enterprise Account of Chido & Sons Multilink Co Nig and credited the account on loan, which they blocked all in a bid to recover a loan I never accessed.”

“Today, I realized that the reason of freezing my account in the first place was criminally motivated, as most documents they presented to the court and police was not signed by me. It was when we instituted a law case against them, that we saw the manipulation they have been doing with my account, with intents to defraud my company and up to the extent of forging my signature. “ 

Attached is a petition to AIG Zone 13 Ukpo.

“Unfortunately,  they said they gave me demand letter, none was submitted to me. Most of the letters they tended in court were not signed by me and had no date, while the one that was submitted to the police had dates on it. Now, it was my case against the bank that brought out these facts, that instead of proving they did not manipulate my account, that further exposed themselves of their intentions, which they committed."

"Because of their criminal intent, our businesses was stalled. Even with the GSI they said they used, a procedure should be used, starting with a demand notice, and if the customer did not reply, CBN will be the entity to initiate the transaction, and there is an approval that will be gotten from CBN for that, all this did not happen."

"They went and forged my letter head and did all sorts of things with it without my knowledge.  All are lies, MTN transcripts are available to proof them wrong, that I was not notified or called by the said Obinna Nnodum, on the dates he quoted. I am also happy that we still have independent calligraphers, who are trained by the Nigeria police to verify the signatures they used on my letter headed paper without my knowledge and permission."

"I will not relent to use all forsenic facts and evidence to prove my case, since they don’t like the truth. Let it also be one record that for tampering with my private enterprise account, and forging my documents and signature without my knowledge,I have insuitued a case of 1B Naira in that order."

When Obinna Nnodum a staff of Zenith Bank Plc, 50 New Market Road Ontisha was called to give account of what happened, he said that there is nothing he can say, as the matter has been taken over by the legal department of Zenith Bank Plc, and as such, he cant talk on it. Efforts where also made to the whistle blower department of Zenith Bank on this matter, as all channels adopted to reach them proved abortive, before going to the press. 

The lawyers to Mr. Idoko and company, has however  petitioned , the Assistant Inspector General of Police, zone 13 Ukpo, as attached, on  the 19/12/2023 to help uncover how and why his signature was forged that enabled the bank to draw from his Personal Enterprise Account citing the GSI, which is now the subject matter. 

Mr. Idoko, however pleaded with the Nigeria police, to look into the matter, to ensure that justice is done, and to forestall similar senario from happening to others. He said that, with what has happened so far with his company and Zenith Bank Plc,it has shown him that either the bank or its staff lack the proper and requisite training to hold in trust people’s funds. He concluded.