How frustration caused banker’s death

Police quiz priest over Nwakobi

The Lagos State Police command yesterday began investigation into the death of 44-year-old bank manager of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Olisa Nwakobi, who allegedly shot himself following life’s frustrations.

The Catholic priest in charge of Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church, Northern Foreshore Estate, Lekki, whom police tagged ‘the first witness’ was grilled by detectives with a view to aiding police investigation.

The Guardian investigation revealed that the banker committed suicide without consulting anyone else but his pastor.

According to the spokesperson of Lagos State Police command, Dolapo Badmos, “we are not investigating the priest, but being the first witness, we asked him some questions in order to aid our investigation.”

Nwakobi had gone to his priest at the weekend and complained bitterly on how he approved a loan for a customer, who had refused to service the loan.

The news of Nwakobi’s suicide spread quickly, prompting rumours that he might have died as a result of undue pressure being mounted on him by his employer.

But a source told The Guardian that his bank was not responsible for the death since there was no pressure on him from the management. Findings revealed that Nwakobi did not approve loans that had become delinquent, nor was he under any pressure from his superiors to recover any money for the bank.

The source, who spoke with newsmen, narrated how the deceased had amassed huge debt from personal commitments and was on the verge of “losing everything.

“He was very worried when he walked up to me to narrate his debt burden. I was shocked to hear that he had killed himself despite all the assurances I gave him just a night before. This is the most heartbreaking moment of my life,” the source said.

Another close friend of the deceased, who spoke to The Guardian on the condition of anonymity, said he was aware Nwakobi had some routine issues with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) lately.

“I heard he was helping a woman move funds abroad and helping himself to some of it to a tune of N300 million. He and his best friend, Henry who lives in London. That one ate a large chunk of the money but he is alive and safe in London, while Olisa was here taking the heat.

“The woman discovered and started putting pressure on Olisa. He was in and out of EFCC and getting desperate. His whole family was helping to raise the money, while his brother put his property in Lekki on the market. He was going gaga but everybody was begging him to calm down.

“He convinced his branch manager to transfer N300 million to the woman but the transaction was flagged at head office. He tried to sell his house. He left the house in a huff and moved into a hotel drinking all day long for a month. His wife said he came home on Wednesday early morning and took his pistol. I heard his DP on whatsapp has been black for a week.

“On Friday, his status message changed to ‘all this must end somehow someday’. In the morning he went to church, after mass he did confession then started displaying in church; ranting and raving that he could not bear it any more, that he would kill himself. He brought out the pistol and was waving it.

“The people in the church were trying to calm him down. He threatened to shoot them, then he shot himself right there in front of everybody in the church.”

However, family sources described Nwakobi as a “loving, unassuming and hardworking man, who laboured to ensure a good life for himself, his family, as well as his neighbours. There was hardly anything he had that he could not give.”

Until his death, he was the Head of Operations at the Lekki branch of FCMB, which he joined more than a decade ago. He left behind his wife and 10-year old daughter.