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Lukman Olabiyi
A top official of a new generation bank in charge of South Directorate, Rowly Isioro and his wife, Ovuomarhoni Naomi Isioro, are currently in the net of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos office, over their alleged involvement in Business Email Compromise, BEC, and money laundering.
The banker who had held different portfolios since joining the bank in 2008, was alleged to have conspired with his wife and one Michael Uziewe, who is still at large, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America to launder a total sum of $1.49m.
According to an EFCC source, the money was allegedly transferred to Ovuomarhoni Naomi’s bank account in Nigeria.
The source said, the arrest of the banker with over 22 years of experience alongside his wife, Ovuomarhoni Naomi, was a sequel to a petition received by the commission from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), through the office of their Legal Attaché, United States Consulate, Victoria Island, Lagos, about their alleged involvement in computer-related fraud, stealing and money laundering.
The anti-graft agency’s source said investigation had revealed that the said sum was transferred into Isioro Ovuomarhoni Naomi’s bank account in Nigeria.
And that the connection of the trio on the alleged commission of the crime had been established.
It was also gathered that the banker’s wife met Michael Uziewe sometime in 2016, who introduced her to foreign exchange business which later turned to BEC, and money laundering.
It was gathered that in the course of EFCC’s investigation of the crime, Naomi allegedly confessed that she and her husband operate two firms namely: Marhoni General Services Limited and Multaid Plus Limited with which they used to receive money from the US-based Michael Uziewe, who allegedly owns Global Investment Network.
She was alleged to have confirmed to the operatives that she had been receiving dollars with instructions to pay the naira equivalent into accounts provided by the said US-based Michael.
Besides, it also emerged that each time the banker’s wife received the dollars, she made over-the-counter withdrawals disregarding the requisite due process which demands that such transactions should go through the regular bank transfer system and sell them to Bureau de Change operators for the naira equivalent.
The banker was also alleged to have confessed that he was aware that someone his wife met in United States of America used to send her dollars which she disburses the naira equivalent to various accounts on the instruction of the person in America.
It was also learnt that Rowly was relieved of his appointment with the bank as a result of his involvement and complicity in the alleged money laundering fraud
The suspects have been charged to court and would be arraigned soon.
