Dosunmu Lateef, a resident of Oyo State, has been trapped in a bureaucratic maze for over a year, struggling to regain access to his First Bank account, which was frozen in 2023 over a corruption case he believed had long been resolved.
In an interview with FIJ, Lateef shared the story of his exhausting journey from one bank branch to another, and between anti-corruption agencies, all in an attempt to recover access to his savings. Despite providing documentation and engaging multiple institutions, he has continued to face conflicting information and institutional silence.
A Forgotten Case Resurfaces
Lateef’s ordeal traces back to events that unfolded between 2018 and 2019, during his tenure as a maintenance and technical officer at a federal government college in Ogoja, Cross River State. At the time, the Federal Ministry of Education had awarded contracts for the fencing of several unity schools nationwide.
Part of Lateef’s role involved monitoring the implementation of these contracts. But things took a dramatic turn when one of the contractors petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of misconduct in the contract execution process.
“My job was to supervise and ensure that contractors were doing the work as required,” Lateef said. “Apparently, one of the contractors assumed that I was also involved in facilitating payments, so he reported the case to the EFCC.”
The EFCC promptly launched an investigation. Lateef’s bank accounts were scrutinized and temporarily frozen. However, upon reviewing the financial transactions, the agency found no evidence of wrongdoing. The accounts were eventually reopened, and Lateef was cleared of any liability.
Frozen Again in 2023 — But This Time, No Clear Explanation
Years after the EFCC had concluded the matter, Lateef was shocked to find his First Bank account frozen again in 2023. His attempts to resolve the issue met a wall of confusion and contradictory responses.
“When I visited First Bank, I was told the EFCC had placed a lien on the account,” he said. “But when I reached out to EFCC officials, they insisted they were not behind it and had already communicated to the bank that the account should be released.”
In March, Lateef sent an official email to First Bank, explaining his ordeal. The bank acknowledged that the account was indeed frozen and advised him to visit the nearest branch with a valid means of identification and a utility bill to initiate reactivation.
“This update will facilitate the reactivation of your account and ensure its proper functionality,” First Bank assured him in writing.
Yet, upon visiting the Apata branch in Ibadan, Lateef was once again told it was an EFCC matter. Seeking further clarity, he approached the Iwo branch in Osun State, where the manager made several calls to departments handling frozen accounts. It was then that a surprising revelation emerged.
“The official told the manager that it wasn’t EFCC, but rather the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) that issued the freeze order,” Lateef recounted. “They even provided a case reference code: ICPC/OPS/BFI/ASO/1737.”
A Dead End at the ICPC
Armed with the new information, Lateef visited the ICPC office in Ibadan, where he was told to present documentation from the initial EFCC investigation related to his work at the Ogoja college.
Unfortunately, Lateef no longer has access to those records. Attempts to obtain them from his former employer were unsuccessful. The college claimed it no longer had the relevant files, leaving Lateef without the documentation the ICPC requires.
He now suspects that the contractor who filed the original complaint may have resurrected the issue in 2023, possibly unaware that Lateef had since left his post at the institution.
“It’s the only explanation I can think of. I left that college years ago, but maybe he thought I was still there and went to the ICPC with the same old allegations,” he said.
Silence from Authorities
Efforts to get answers from the responsible institutions have yielded little. Lateef said he has repeatedly emailed First Bank, but has received no definitive resolution. On Friday, FIJ sent an inquiry to First Bank’s customer care team. At the time of this report, the bank had not responded.
The ICPC, which was copied in the same correspondence, also failed to reply.
As the saga drags on, Lateef remains stuck unable to access his own money and unsure where else to turn.
A Call for Institutional Accountability
Lateef’s case is one among many in Nigeria where ordinary citizens are left stranded by financial institutions and government agencies, often without clear channels for redress. His experience raises urgent questions about inter-agency coordination, accountability, and the rights of individuals wrongly caught up in prolonged investigations.
For now, Lateef can only hope that the system eventually responds — and allows him to reclaim what is rightfully his.
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