The management of Bankers Warehouse Limited has demanded the immediate release of the $2.8 million cash and its staff arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu last Thursday, by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
A statement from the company, which was made available to newsmen in Lagos on Sunday said:
“On Thursday evening, December 20, 2018, while providing a legitimate currency movement service for one of our bank clients from their branch at Onitsha to their branch at Lagos, our Couriers were stopped at the Enugu airport, detained and interrogated by agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), despite providing their identification details.
“The documents provided also included a covering note from the bank, authorizing the team to move the consignment; which is the standard practice.
“We hereby state emphatically that the movement of this currency was a legitimate exercise, being carried out on behalf of a legitimate Financial Institution.
“We emphasize that our employees are in no way criminals, carrying out any act of illegality as the EFCC has tried to portray.
“The young men whose character and reputation have been deliberately soiled by the EFCC operatives were conducting their legitimate duties as requested by a bank customer of our company.
“We request for the swift and immediate release of our employees and our customer’s currency, both detained without proper cause.
“We also demand an immediate retraction by the EFCC and an apology issued to our company and our employees whose images have been maligned.
“Our client who has been unfairly exposed and accused of implied illegality, and whose money is still being improperly held by the EFCC operatives, deserve a very special apology for the disclosure of their business and damage done to their image.”
It further noted that Bankers Warehouse Limited is a company duly licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to carry out Cash/Asset movement and Currency Processing.
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