OVERVIEW AND IMPACT OF FRAUDS IN THE BANKING INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

1.0       INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND OF STUDY

With an award match to becoming on industrialized nation, Nigeria is witnessing true emergence of human resources as professional, which made possible the establishment of service industries and other business organizations.  This belief was rather too strong that the urge to provide financial services can no longer be overlooked.  To accelerate economic growth and economic development both government and some organized private groups were issued license to operate banks, in addition to a few banks that were already into business to operate systematic financial services.

This bank employed young men on women, but like every aspect of human endeavour have their challenges.  One of the major challenges facing the banking is the incidence of fraud.  Bakere (2002.1) observed that the incidence of frauds in the banking industry has in the recent, past posed a very serious threat to the very existence of financial institutions and is a matter of services concerned to the regulatory authorities and the banking public.  Despite the stringent measures put in place by monetary authorities and internal control measure to check the activities of fraudsters, frauds in the banks to be on the increase.  Edozie as observed by Adebayo (2001.5) stated that available statistics reveal that thirty-one banks reported that they experiences frauds and forgery cases for the period (January – March 2002).

Banks are institution known to operate on the center-pin of public confidence.  Today that concept no longer holds as bankers themselves either frauds or partakes deeply in fraudulent activities against her banks (employers).

According to Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) Annual report (1997.9) most of those banks were run around by a few greedy directors and officials who perpetrated frauds and all kinds of unethical practices against their institutions to erode public confidence in banks.

This scenario has singularly contributed to the liquidation of many banks Agbata (1998:13) observed that one couldn’t avoid considering the fact that the distress in the bank industry was occasioned by fraud.

Now that cases of fraud has been established in the banks the need therefore aisle to find out problems associated with fraud, its input on the macro-economy and how these problem are being tackled, hence the need for this study.

1.2       STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS

Generally speaking movement in the economy of any nation result from the inter-play of money and other economic variables in Nigeria the impacts of money and banking have been the dominant factors determining macro-economic performance.  Despite this unique position of banks between other sector of the economy, banks (especially commercial banks) are faced with a good number of economic crises notably among the fraud.

As a result there has been a lot of criticisms from the investing public about the non-commitment and dedication to duty by Nigerian bankers.  This stands form the fact that distress in the banking industry originated from fraud, which was occasion by bankers.

Directors and management of banks are also criticized for their inability to direct and control men and materials effectively.  Poor accounting on reconciliation procedures may give an employee the opportunity to spot a weakness and devise a plan to take advantage of it.  This is due to the weakness of internal control in a bank.  Understanding what motivates this individuals and how they are able to reationalize their behaviour is key to preventing it.  Further more, they are criticized for using their positions and authorities to defraud their institutions.