An operations manger of an Abuja branch of a Guarantee Trust Bank has been arrested by the operatives of the economic and financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for hoarding the new Naira notes.

The unnamed manager, according to the EFCC, refused to load the Automated Teller Machines, ATMs, of the bank with the new notes despite having N29m of the redesigned notes in the branch’s vault.

Before he was whisked away on Monday, the anti-graft agency said, the bank was ordered to load the ATMs and the payment across the counter to the delight of customers.

According to the Agency, the discovery was made by EFCC in the continuation of the ongoing surveillance on the banks across the country.

The statement published on the website of the agency reads, “An Operations Manager of a leading Commercial bank in Abuja Central Area was arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Commission, EFCC, for refusing to load the Automated Teller Machines, ATMs, of the bank despite having N29million of the redesigned Naira notes in the branch’s vaults.

“Before he was whisked away for further questioning, the operatives ordered the loading of all the ATMs and the payment of the stipulated amount across the counter to the delight of the distraught customers who had spent hours on queues without getting the new notes.

“This discovery, which indicates a sabotage of the government’s monetary policy by some banks, was made by the EFCC in continuation of the ongoing surveillance and visit to banks across the country to access their vaults and verify whether they were deliberately refusing to dispense the redesigned Naira notes.

“More than five bank branches were covered today by the operatives in Abuja. Similar exercises were ongoing in Zonal Commands across the country.”

The Agency promised continuation of the operations, ‘until normalcy is restored to the banking system.’

It further requested Nigerians finding it difficult to access their funds at any bank and suspects foul play to contact the commission, for immediate intervention.