As he walked back into the bank, something told me trouble ‘don sup’. My know everything (not aproko) antenna started its work. His presence and annoyance could be felt by everyone inside the banking hall. This is one of the biggest FX customers of the bank.
Usualy, he walks in unnoticed, without an aura but moved mountains in and out of the bank. His coming in this day after just leaving in his usual quiet manner a few minutes back certainly means one thing; drrraaaammmaa (in that telemundo voice).
He went to the back office, called out all the tellers from their cubicles like one who had the authority to do so. Since oga na master and customers in the banking hall is king, we wondered what to do. To answer master or to serve king? Well, maybe we communicated or it was the dread with which the call came in, we found ourselves in between the guy and our own oga. My Boss was genuinely perplexed. He had no idea what was going on but asked us all to return to our 6tile. Like bees, we hurried back to serve our customers.
Well, a few minutes later, our Boss came asking for our phones; the bank policy doesn’t allow a teller keep their phones with them, you had to keep it in a till box and vault the box in, you get your phones back when you want to go home. So you see, this question about the whereabouts of our phones confirmed that there was already trouble.
He went to the back office, called out all the tellers from their cubicles like one who had the authority to do so. Since oga na master and customers in the banking hall is king, we wondered what to do. To answer master or to serve king? Well, maybe we communicated or it was the dread with which the call came in, we found ourselves in between the guy and our own oga. My Boss was genuinely perplexed. He had no idea what was going on but asked us all to return to our 6tile. Like bees, we hurried back to serve our customers.
Well, a few minutes later, our Boss came asking for our phones; the bank policy doesn’t allow a teller keep their phones with them, you had to keep it in a till box and vault the box in, you get your phones back when you want to go home. So you see, this question about the whereabouts of our phones confirmed that there was already trouble.
They had taken the angry customer to an office, and gotten what his concerns were. This over sabi marketer who is always preying on contract staffs, ran down to the banking hall, accusing the tellers of conspiracy. She implied (rather accused us) to the hearing of everyone in the bank that we made the call to the robbers who robbed the man. While I do not say that it’s an impossible thing, I completely found the accusation uncalled for. Everyone knows our phones are locked in the vault, our Boss is a strict compliance officer, follows the policy to the detail. She and my Boss like rubbing breast on head during office hours though clothed so Oga was obliged to ask us for our phones even after he had done his rounds on us that morning.
Oga withdraws huge sums of money, his boys carry the cash to the office. Most customers now know oga and his withdrawals because of the frequency and the fact that my bosses are a noticeable mess when he comes to withdraw. You know these customers that can get your Boss sacked with a phone call; It’s always a fuss to keep him and his money obviously coded. In a bid to do so, regular customers now know him and his boys. Anyone could have known and traced him to the point of the attack.
Upon further clarifications, we found out the vehicle that robbed oga was the same Toyota brand our marketers use as pool car. They claimed the robbers worked with information and this would not be the first time they knew exactly how much was withdrawn and took it all. So all fingers pointed to the paying bank and since the tellers are usually the hungry looking low income earners of the bank, it was concluded that they were the rats, if not all, one of them.
So, ‘where is your phone?’ my Boss asked this time individually, searching us and our cubicle. I did not mind the search as long as we found the rat but it was one of the most embarrassing days of my work life. I knew he wanted to prove a point to everyone that we did not have our phones on us. After thorough searching, it was obvious we either did not make the call but must have given the information in another way. Aunty marketer insisted we are questioned, my boss cut rope say no be we and we went about our jobs.
As expected, we cursed Aunty while we worked. The issue was not yet reported to the police. By the time police came wanting to question us, Boss had communicated with top security guys to answer on our behalf. I for sleep cell that day o. We closed vault and went home.
Next day, we heard the full gist. These notorious people have been robbing the FX guys at their place for a while without getting caught. Our marketing mistress on hearing it suggested that it must be the tellers who give information to the robbers. She sold us out without proper confirmation.
Please note that I am not in any way saying tellers or bankers don’t give information to third parties, I am not sure how this happens but to accuse them without proper investigations would be completely wrong.
Needless to say few months later, we heard the robbers were caught using unorthodox methods though.
Na wa!
ReplyDeleteForget o. The day I started fearing bankers was the day my ex boss wanted to sell a car. They came, priced and collected account details. Next thing my oga got alert to the exact amt. For example, if he had 100.05 in his account before and sold the car for 200. He got alert and balance was 300.05
DeleteGave them the car. Time to withdraw no money.
Something that he got alert from bank o.even if the text was fake. How did they know his exact account balance
You must be really shallow minded
Deletewhat is the unorthodox method that was used?
ReplyDeleteI know bankers do tell because i have heard a story about them. One of my colleague told me they robbed someone who came to withdraw. The person gave the thief the cloth the person was wearing so that it can be easy to thief the person.
Anyway rat inside always call rat outside to come and chop meat. Everybody is a SUSPECT until otherwise proven
Na wa
ReplyDeleteThat busy body marketer needs to be put in her place,I won't r surprised if she is the one giving out the information...dislike folks like her
ReplyDeleteLEP😛
They might not have their phone but can do eye contact with customer that has phone n write on the teller of the customer the amount collected. The customer will now contact pipo outside. One day that thief will see shege
ReplyDeleteBankers give information, might not be through phone calls tho. Customer's were always being robbed of huge sums in a certain bank in Uyo until the bank decided to transfer majority of them out of that branch and the robbery ceased. So most times the info in from within.
ReplyDeleteBankers do give out customers information. I had a very recent experience with a bank in Lagos. I needed to transfer funds to my younger ones in Nigeria via my Nigerian acct. I reside in the USA. I usually leave my Atm card with them to withdraw from but it expired in November of 2017 and I have not been to Nigeria to update and collect a new one. I had to call my bank and after all the hassles of proving it was my account, they asked for my passport,greencard or visa details. They asked for my utility bills.I finally was able to get the token to transfer the monies. Exactly 1week later April of 2018 I got a text message from someone claiming to be The executive governor of the central bank stating my account details and asking me to call a certain nbr that my account was in danger of being suspended. I just ignored them as I knew it was a huge fraud.
ReplyDelete