Student Group Issues 72-Hour Ultimatum Over Missing iPhone

The Progressive Students Movement (PSM), Lagos State chapter, has given the First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Onipanu branch, a 72-hour ultimatum to recover a missing iPhone 14 Pro belonging to Comrade Abdulbasit Opeyemi, a student at Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech).

In a statement released yesterday, PSM’s Lagos State coordinator, Comrade Odewunmi Quadri Ishola, detailed the incident on Friday, 25 April 2025.

Opeyemi, accompanied by his girlfriend, visited the FCMB Onipanu branch to collect a new ATM card and upgrade his mobile banking app. While waiting to be served, a man dressed in corporate attire posing as a bank employee allegedly offered to assist Opeyemi with the app upgrade, collected his iPhone 14 Pro, and fled the premises.

The PSM statement highlighted concerns over the branch’s lack of professionalism, noting that none of the staff on duty, except one employee named Mariam, wore an identification tag.

“Anyone could easily impersonate bank staff in such an environment,” Ishola said, adding that the group confirmed this during a fact-finding visit to the branch on Monday.

The group argued that the absence of ID tags deviates from standard practices observed at other FCMB branches and banks.

During the visit, PSM challenged claims by the branch manager that Opeyemi and the alleged thief entered the bank together.

The group reviewed CCTV footage showing Opeyemi and his girlfriend in the bank for over 30 minutes before the suspect arrived.

The footage further revealed the suspect ascending to an upstairs area, engaging briefly with a customer service officer, and then approaching Opeyemi under the pretext of being a staff member.

PSM has demanded that FCMB produce Opeyemi’s phone and apprehend the culprit within 72 hours. It is calling for a thorough investigation, particularly into the actions of a customer service officer named Mr John, who was on duty at the time.

The group warned that failure to comply would prompt protests at FCMB’s Lagos head office and a nationwide campaign encouraging students, friends, and families to close their accounts with the bank.

“The security of customers’ lives, money, and assets must be protected within the bank,” the statement read.

In a separate letter addressed to FCMB’s management on 28 April, Opeyemi recounted the incident and echoed PSM’s concerns about the lack of staff identification.

He urged the bank to recover his phone, apprehend the suspect, and adopt more professional customer service practices.

Opeyemi threatened to close his account and encouraged others to do the same if the matter was not resolved promptly.

Meanwhile, FCMB Onipanu branch has yet to respond to the ultimatum at the time of press.