Edo Assembly hears petition on ATM dispensing fake Naira notes

The Edo State House of Assembly at its plenary on Thursday read a petition on how an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) allegedly dispensed fake Naira notes to a resident in the state.

The resident, a Federal civil servant, Charles Ajiboye, in his petition to the Assembly fingered a new generation bank in Benin as the culprit, and alleged that the ATM was close to Oba Market.

According to him, he had gone there to withdraw the money to purchase some goods at Oba Market, but was accosted and told by traders there, that one of the notes were fake.

Part of the petition which was read to the state lawmakers by the Clerk of the House, Mr. James Omoataman, said, “Sir, to my ruddiest shock, on presenting N3,000 for payment after buying some food items, the seller observed that one of the notes was fake.

“I immediately went back to the bank and accosted some security men on duty who blatantly told me to go away as there was nothing they could do, that I would not be the first person to withdraw a fake note from an ATM in Nigeria.

“Irked by this response, I went to Oba Market Police Station, where I formally reported the matter. The bank’s act, for dispensing fake Naira notes via its ATM, is a crime— short and simple. I may not be the first person to have fallen victim of this crime by the bank. Perhaps, other victims may have considered fake notes so insignificant to belabour themselves over.

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“Arising from the above, it is my belief that if this practice is not checked by appropriate sanctions, including sanctions by the supervising bank, the CBN, there are tendencies that fake Naira notes will continue to be dispensed alongside genuine bank notes by the bank.

“I, therefore, seek the intervention of the Edo State House of Assembly by investigating the matter with a view to recommending appropriate sanctions on the bank to serve as deterrence to other banks.”

Responding, the Assembly Speaker, Alhaji Kabiru Adjoto, referred the matter to the House Committee on Finance for immediate probe of the allegation and to report to the House within two weeks.

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