A Car Scandal

Despite the bank’s assurance, Sesan’s trauma was far from over. On the same day FCMB wrote its acknowledgement, the police wrote to BAT, Sesan’s employer, advising it to release him for interrogation. “This department is investigating a case of stealing and falsification of Customs document reported against one Adenusi Omotunde, a staff of your company. You are requested to release him to the detectives to interview the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Asaba, Delta State, through the officer in charge of Anti-Fraud section,” read the letter, dated 22 July and signed by Celestine C Okoye, Assistant Commissioner of Police, D Department, Police Hq, Asaba.

Without waiting for the company’s acknowledgement, a team of policemen from the command stormed BAT’s 15, Deco Road, Warri office and arrested Sesan in the presence of his colleagues. They took him to Asaba, where he was detained. The police later agreed to release him in Ibadan on the condition that he produced the car. Sesan therefore asked one of his friends to bring the car from Lagos to Ibadan. Upon the presentation of the car as agreed, Sesan was released on bail.

For the second time, Sesan’s counsel wrote a letter of protest to FCMB. This time the bank was not only asked to refund the N1 million he paid for the car, but an additional N10million for the assault he suffered in the hands of the police. “We hereby demand the following within seven (7) days of the receipt of this letter: the refund of the purchase price of the said vehicle to our client and the sum of N10,000,000 (Ten Million Naira) for the unwarranted assault your negligence caused our client as we believe that a corporate organisation like FCMB should exercise diligent care in all claims by your clients and also for the loss suffered since the impounding of the said car,” read the letter dated 1 August.

In its response, FCMB pointed out that the matter was a police case over which it had no control, even though it was dissatisfied with the manner of investigation. The bank again acknowledged that it sold the car to Sesan but it said nothing about addressing his demands. “It is quite unfortunate that the vehicle has been impounded by the police, but we reiterate that we sold the car bona fide to your client,” FCMB wrote in its reply dated 27 August.

Between August and the time of this report, neither the police nor FCMB has informed Sesan of what has become of the matter or his demands. This, according to the young man, is even more frustrating given the trauma he has suffered. Since the police impounded the car, he said he again wrote to FCMB, he has been paying N20,000 daily for hired cabs to facilitate his wife’s business. This time, the bank failed to acknowledge his letter, a reason he decided to institute legal proceeding against it at an Effurun High Court on 20 October. His demands include: refund of his N1 million, N10 million for general damages, N20,000 per day from 1 August being the amount for daily hire of a car, 21 per cent interest on the car price until the court delivers judgment and another 21 per cent post-judgment interest until FCMB liquidates the judgment sum.

This medium gathered that the cause of Sesan’s trouble is the bank’s inability to ascertain the genuineness of the documents it received from the client who guaranteed a loan facility with the car. The man, whose identity could not be ascertained by this medium, defaulted in repaying the loan, prompting the bank to take possession of the car and soon after auctioning it. However, the man turned out to be a smart alec who had successfully obtained the loan with fake documents of a car that belonged to someone else. He has since disappeared into thin air.

Attempts by this medium to speak with FCMB proved unsuccessful. Bamidele Ayodele, the man who is said to have led the car sales negotiation team, turned down requests to speak on the matter. The reason, according to Ayodele, is that it would be subjudice to speak on the matter since it is already in court.

The Investigation Police Officers, identified simply as Godspower and Obodo, also did not respond to enquiries made by this magazine. Edema, the bank official who linked Sesan with the bank, is allegedly on the run and has been declared wanted by the police. Edema, 35, according to the police, connived with others also at large, to steal the car valued at N1.4 million, belonging to one Paul Kpologu. The case is already at an Effurun Magistrate Court.