The Nigerian financial sector witnessed a rush hour on Wednesday, as GTBank suffered a backlash, following the closure of over N5bn accounts by Igbo businessmen who protested the arrest of Innocent Chukwuma on Tuesday.
It would be recalled, that the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has on Tuesday arrested Innoson over some transactions involving him and his bank.
However, this did not go down well with a Igbo businessmen who felt that his arrest was unjustified. Many decided to close their accounts in solidarity with Innoson.
Investigations by Daily Review Online revealed that over N5bn worth of accounts have been closed since his arrest.
One Chukwudi Iwuchukwu, said:
“Way to go. By the time we finish with GTB they will know the power of social media surpasses that of witch hunt using APC EFCC…….
“This morning, I walked into the nearest GTB branch and requested for a form to close our company account with them.
“The gorgeous lady who attended to me wanted to know why I was closing the account and moving the funds to Zenith bank.
“I told her is very simple! I’m taking this action as a form of protest to the bank for the way they handled the Innoson saga and most importantly, for victimizing the man simply because of business transaction that went wrong.
“Not only this, I have been on the phone since morning talking to 2 of my friends who are billionaires and who have billions of their company’s fund with the bank to move it as well.
“Thank God they have done that, one authorized his accountant to move the funds from GTB to first bank, the other one from GTB to Zenith bank
The lady was dazed and I think it is very important the management of GTB get this memo.
“I’m not a tribalist, I avoid tribal sentiments but you see there is a limit to what you see and observe happening to your people without taking action to protest.
What Innoson is going through in the hands of GTB is corporate wickedness and witchcraft.
“I call on young And older Igbo entrepreneurs who have their business funds in that bank should move it today, not tomorrow but today in solidarity with our brother, jewel and one of our brightest son who slept in EFCC custody last night because of GTB.
“We need to boycott GTB for being a useless bank and boycott them for good.
They are not the only bank in Nigeria.”
Others who closed their accounts with GTB include Evangelist Mike Ikoku, owner of All Seasons Hotel in Owerri: he said: “I’m joining the protest in moving out every Kobo from our GTBANK corporate & personal accounts for the mishandling of INNOSON Case”
Chief Chukwuma, CEO of Innoson group of companies has insisted that the EFFC is being used by Guaranty trust bank(GT bank) to intimidate him. In a statement from his detention room in the Enugu branch of the commission, he revealed that the Bank owed him an undisclosed sum of money which a court had ruled in his favour.
He said:”But instead of the Bank to pay me my money, they are using EFCC to intimidate me,”. he promised to give full details to the public on his encounter with the anti-graft agency.
However, a representative of the EFCC, Mr. Chris Oluka, told newsmen that Chukwuma put up resistance to arrest. “He did put up some resistance by using some trucks to block our way to his residence but we finally arrested him,”.
Responding over the backlash, GTBANK said “Innoson should stop trying to play the underdog and simply resolve his issues through legal means or arbitration. On Innoson playing the Igbo tribe card, this is not in good taste in this moment in history. We are aware of GTBank’s strong position on unpaid debts. We know GTBank has gone often several debtors of the bank irrespective of who they are or where they come from. So why is Innoson’s matter now tribal?”.
Meanwhile, Innoson has refused his release by EFCC, insisting to know why he was arrested in the first place.