FirstBank and Keystone Bank have distanced themselves from the trending news reports, alleging that seven deposit money banks are hiding funds belonging to subsidiaries of the NNPC in their books.
FirstBank, in a statement by Folake Ani-Mumuney, Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, stated categorically that it does not hold any funds due NPDC and NNPC that are TSA eligible as carried in recent media reports as the Bank has since transferred all funds due to the TSA accounts in compliance with the policy directive.
“FirstBank remains a compliant institution and always abides by all extant regulatory rules and regulations,” the statement stressed.
Similarly, Keystone Bank also insisted that it did not and has never hidden any fund belonging to the Federal Government or its agencies.
“Keystone Bank has never illegally hidden any amount of money belonging to the Federal Government or any of its agencies.
“Details of all Federal Government funds in custody of Keystone Bank had always been fully disclosed to all relevant Federal Government agencies and at no time did Keystone Bank collude or conspire with any official of the Federal Government to disobey the Federal Government directives on the TSA.
“We are taking appropriate steps to respond to the issues raised in the Court Order,” the statement stressed.
It will be recalled that Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High Court, Lagos had ordered seven banks to remit the various sums allegedly being kept illegally in their custody to the designated Federal Government’s Asset Recovery dollars account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
The banks in question were United Bank for Africa, UBA; Diamond Bank Plc; Skye Bank Plc; First Bank Limited; Fidelity Bank Plc; Keystone Bank Limited; and Sterling Bank Plc.
Some of these banks have disputed this allegation.