The joyous return of a Nigerian diaspora citizen, Ibhahe Hope Ehieribo, has turned into a harrowing ordeal as he discovered his life savings, amounting to over N150 million, had been fraudulently withdrawn from his United Bank for Africa (UBA) account.

The shocking revelation comes after unknown individuals allegedly presented a forged death certificate to the probate court to obtain an order, allowing them to illegally access Ehieribo’s funds.

Ehieribo, an overseas returnee who had meticulously built his savings, was reportedly contacted by UBA regarding the suspicious activity on his account. A source close to the matter confirmed the bank’s outreach and their assurance that they are actively investigating the fraudulent withdrawals.

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“UBA bank reached out and they assured they are on his matter,” the source stated. “It will interest you to know that before the money was awarded to unknown recipients, they obtained a Death certificate of a living being and went to probate at the high court to obtain a court order.”

This elaborate scheme points to a sophisticated act of identity theft and financial fraud, raising serious questions about the security protocols at the probate court and the due diligence processes employed by the bank before disbursing such a substantial sum. The use of a forged death certificate to declare a living person deceased and then secure a court order for their assets is a particularly alarming aspect of this case.

While details remain sparse on the identity of the “unknown relatives” who orchestrated this audacious fraud, investigations are undoubtedly underway to trace the perpetrators and the destination of the stolen funds. This incident serves as a stark warning to Nigerians in the diaspora and those with significant savings about the increasing sophistication of financial crimes and the critical need for robust security measures for their assets.

Calls to UBA for an official statement on the matter were not immediately returned. Authorities are expected to launch a full investigation into how the forged documents were processed through the legal system and how the large sum of money was withdrawn without Ehieribo’s knowledge or consent.

This case highlights the urgent need for enhanced inter-agency collaboration between financial institutions, law enforcement, and the judiciary to combat such elaborate criminal enterprises.