As investigations continue into the sale of Union Bank, the Office of the Special Central Bank of Nigeria Investigator has rejected a request by the Chairman of Titan Trust Bank Limited, Babatunde Lemo, for rescheduling the December 28, 2023, meeting with investigators till January 7.
The investigator warned that the failure of Lemo and other major shareholders of Titan Trust Bank to attend today’s meeting may lead to the forfeiture of their shareholding and interests in Titan Trust Bank and Union Bank Nigeria Plc.
This was contained in a letter to the Titan Trust Bank chairman dated December 27, 2023, and signed by the Head of Operations, Office of the Special Investigator, Eloho Okpoziakpo, a Deputy Commissioner of Police.
The letter was in response to a letter from Lemo’s lawyer seeking a shift of today’s meeting until January.
The investigator also turned down a proposal by Lemo that the major shareholders of Titan Trust Bank, Mr Cornelius Vink and Rahul Savara, should be given seven days to prove their purported ownership of Titan Trust Bank and Union Bank of Nigeria or forfeit the shares to the Federal Government.
The Special Investigator, Jim Obazee, had summoned Lemo, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, in connection with the acquisition of Union Bank of Nigeria Plc by Titan Trust Bank.
The Titan Trust Bank chairman was directed to report to the Department of Force Intelligence opposite the Force headquarters, Shehu Shagari Way, Abuja, on Thursday (today), where he will be grilled by a team of detectives probing the UBN acquisition.
Lemo was further instructed to come along with Vink and Savara to meet with the team of special investigators.
