By Editor
*Demands Reversal Of The Money Within 48 Hours *Says He Is Disappointed With Action Of The Bank
A lawyer, F. I. Nwodo has written the United Bank for Africa, UBA, over alleged illegal deduction of his money without crediting the recipient to whom he intended transferring the money to.
Nwodo, who is the principal and founder of Ifesi Nwodo and Co (Legal Practitioner and Consultants), in a letter sighted by ASKLEGALPALACE addressed to the Bank dated 30th August, 2021, said he intended transferring the money to a client who supplied him perishable goods from Enugu to Abuja. Unfortunately, the money was deducted but the client did not receive the money and the money has not been reversed despite a promise by the bank that the money will be reversed.
The letter reads in part, “I write this letter on behalf of my humble self as the principal and founder of Ifesi Nwodo and Co (Legal Practitioner and Consultants).
“As earlier stated in the heading of this letter my name is Nwodo Francis Ifesinachi with Account number: 2019013600. I am your old customer having operated my account with your bank for about fourteen (14) Years ago till date.
“It was on Thursday the 19th day of August 2021, that I came to your automatic teller machine (ATM) located at area 3, FCT-Abuja to transfer the sum of N16,026.07 (Sixteen thousand, twenty-six naira, seven kobo only), to one of my customer who supplies perishable goods for me from Enugu State to FCT-Abuja by name Ugwu Perpetual Mgbeoji with Account number: 0024207461 with Access Bank PLC.
“Sir, unfortunately, I did the first transfer on the said date mentioned above around 16:53 pm and noticed that the said sum I mentioned above was deducted from my account without crediting my customer whom I intended to transfer the money.
“I repeated the transaction to my customer on the said amount I made mention and it went through, upon asking my customer whether she received the alert she answered in affirmative.”
After giving a background of the situation, Nwodo expressed disappointment with the action of the bank as according to him, it had affected his reputation. He said the client now sees him as an untruthful person.
He, therefore, demanded the bank to reverse the money within 48 hours failing which he will have no other option than to approach court.
“Furthermore Sir, on Monday 24 of August 2021, I came to your office at Asokoro by Gana Street to lay official complain about this illegal deduction of my money and I was given a form by one of your staff who gave me a form to fill and return to her after she interrogated me. I did as she instructed and she told me that she has communicated to their head office in Lagos, promising me that the said sum will be reversed back to my account within twenty-four (24) hours.
“Again Sir, it is quite unfortunate that I came to your bank on Saturday 28 August, 2021 to do another transfer to the same person and your bank deducted the sum of N18,026.87 (Eighty thousand, twenty-six naira, eighty-seven kobo only) without crediting that my customer that I mentioned above with her account details.
Sir, permit me to register my disappointment on your bank as an old customer.
“This act of your bank has dealt on my reputation as my client sees me as an untruthful person because already she has supplied me the goods on trust hoping to get an alert from me.
“Finally Sir, it is important to inform you that as your customer, you owe me a duty of care. Therefore based on the above facts, I hereby give you forty-eight (48) hours that is two (2) working days to credit my Account number: 2019013600 bearing my name Nwodo Francis Ifesinachi with the sum of N34,053.74 (Thirty-four thousand fifty-three naira, seventy-four kobo) which you illegally deducted from my account on 19-8-2021 and 28-8-2021 respectively. Failure to do same I shall have no other option than to approach the court of law, should you allow me to do so I will ask for general and exemplary damages including the cost of action against you in the court.” he said