Nigerian footballer, Tochukwu Christian has accused United Bank for Africa (UBA) of negligence after losing ₦12.3 million to an alleged security breach on his UBA bank account. Frustrated by unsuccessful attempts to recover his money, Christian took to the popular podcast Lucky Udu to share his ordeal and call out the UBA.
According to Christian, UBA has failed to provide a clear explanation of how the money vanished from his account. He alleged that his account officer, Chinecheram Mercy, who works with the bank, was responsible for the breach and theft of his funds.
A Trusted Relationship Turned SourChristian, a professional footballer with a busy travel schedule, had entrusted Mercy with his banking activities. He recounted that he met her in 2020 when she persuaded him to open an account with UBA. Initially hesitant due to his frequent travels, he eventually agreed.“She kept on disturbing me to open an account with UBA. When I finally did, I trusted her to assist with my banking needs,” he explained.
During one of his trips abroad, Christian lost his SIM card, which was linked to his bank alerts. He reached out to Mercy for help, and she advised him to open a new account. He questioned whether he could operate two UBA accounts simultaneously, and she assured him it was possible.
“She requested my details and even helped me open a new email account for the new bank account. She also obtained my BVN from my other bank, Access Bank,” Christian stated.
The footballer became suspicious when Mercy later contacted him, asking if he was behind a series of withdrawals from his old account. Since he was abroad and not receiving alerts for that account due to the lost SIM card, he was unaware of the transactions. However, he was receiving notifications from the new account.
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Concerned, Christian immediately visited a UBA branch upon his return to Nigeria to report the unauthorized transactions. However, he claimed the bank dismissed his complaints, stating that he needed to speak with his account officer.
“I got Chinecheram Mercy arrested, but she was released without any resolution or refund of my money, despite spending so much to on police to arrest her ” he lamented.
Adding to his suspicions, Christian revealed that Mercy opened a thriving business and got married the same year his money went missing. He has since engaged legal representatives to take action against UBA and Mercy in an effort to recover his lost funds.
As the case unfolds, Christian’s allegations raise concerns about banking security and the responsibility of financial institutions in protecting customers’ funds. Neither UBA nor Mercy has publicly responded to the claims at the time of this report.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
