Security company to drag bank to court over F40m robber

A Bamenda based security company, Essoka Security is now bracing up to drag a bank to court after one of its guard made away with colossal sums of money, alleged to be in the neighborhood of FCFA 40 million while on duty at the Bafoussam branch of Bank recently.

The incident occurred on Monday 28 July 2014 which was also a public holiday to mark the feast of Ramadan.

The security guard of Essoka Security Company, 29 year old Raphael Ndifon Funoh who was on duty at the bank that fateful day is said to have taken advantage of the fact that the cashier on duty went on break without taking proper safety measures to secure the safe to get the keys and cart away a huge sum of money, believed to be about FCFA 40 million.

Raphael Ndifon Funoh who immediately vamoosed after committing the act has since then been at large and efforts to track him down have all been futile with widespread speculation that he has successfully absconded to neighboring Nigeria.

However, the employers of the fugitive security guard, Essoka Security Company are rather contemplating the bank to court for deliberate negligence and complicity to tarnish the image of the company.

When The Sun visited the Bamenda head office of Essoka Security Company, the company’s investigator, retired commissioner of police Patcha Isaac said all facts on the ground point to the fact that the bank should be taken to court.

According to Patcha Isaac who was speaking officially on behalf of Essoka Security Company, on that fateful Monday 28 July 2014 which was also a public holiday ,a senior bank staff received money in a bank delivery vehicle ,and flung it on the floor of the strong room of the bank without putting it in the safe. Thereafter, Patcha continued, the said bank staff locked the strong room and carelessly dropped the keys in the next room and did not seal the door of the room in which he dropped the keys.

The bank staff then proceeded to tell the guard that he wanted to go check the vehicle. The said cashier whose names were withheld left the bank at about midday and only returned after 2 pm leaving the guard all alone inside the bank.

The Essoka Security Company Investigator further narrated to The Sun that after returning at about 2 pm the senior bank staff then called on the field supervisor of Essoka Security to inform him that the guard on duty had carted away huge sums of money.

This, according to Essoka Security was very clear that the said bank staff connived with the security guard to leave the strong room open with the money on the floor, not even inside the safe.

The Essoka Security Company official lamented that by all standards the bank official failed in his duty and did not live up to expectations and further connived with the security guard to rob the bank and tarnish the image of the security company. It is for this reason that Essoka Security Company is now heading to court with the bank to settle the scores.

The Sun further gathered that when the investigation team, led by police officers arrived the bank shortly after they were notified, some few FCFA 1000 and FCFA 500 bank notes as well as Euros were found littered on the floor of the bank’s strong room .

The cashier was immediately picked up for questioning while the bank’s branch manager, was also grilled for several hours before being released.

The main robber, Raphael Ndifon Funoh is still to be nabbed. Essoka Security Company is also arguing that since they are authorized to provide security services to financial institution by a decision of the president of the Republic, all their guards undergo a rigorous morality test known in French as “enquete de moralite” before they are allowed to work in banks, the only option they have now is to drag the bank to court to take responsibility for the robbery.