Panic gripped staff and customers at a branch of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) in Lagos after a suspected thief was discovered hiding in the bank’s ceiling, allegedly attempting to compromise the bank’s computer systems overnight. According to eyewitness accounts, the man reportedly entered the banking hall during regular business hours and quietly locked himself inside one of the restrooms.
From there, he is believed to have gained access into the ceiling, where he remained concealed until after the bank had closed for the day. By the following morning, bank staff arriving for work noticed that one of the interior doors was mysteriously locked from the inside.
Their suspicions grew when repeated attempts to open the door failed. After eventually forcing it open, they were shocked to find the intruder, who appeared to be tampering with the bank’s internal systems. Screens on some of the workstations were said to be displaying unusual messages such as “restarting click ok to accept,” raising concerns of a potential hacking attempt.
A now-viral video from the scene shows the suspect being dragged out of the ceiling space and pleading for mercy, claiming he acted alone and had no accomplices. In the footage, bank security personnel and others can be seen roughly handling the man as he was taken into custody.