A corps member, Salma Omotara, has accused Zenith Bank Plc of withholding her $500 stipend paid by the National Geographic Society and The Nature Conservancy since November 2022, despite repeated efforts to resolve the issue.
Omotara told the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) that she earned the amount as part of a remote externship program facilitated by Paragon One, a U.S.-based company now rebranded as Extern.
According to her, she opened a Zenith Bank domiciliary account specifically for the job after receiving her offer in 2022. However, two years later, the funds remain inaccessible.
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The company sent me receipts confirming that the payment was successful from their end,” Omotara said. “Others who experienced similar delays later got their money refunded through other means, but I’ve been stuck with Zenith Bank since 2022.”
When she contacted Zenith Bank, the institution initially claimed the funds were “stuck with Citibank, New York,” which serves as an intermediary for international transactions. But during a physical visit to her branch at Iwo Road, Ibadan, bank officials reportedly contradicted that position.
They denied saying anything about Citibank,” Omotara recounted. “They said they had no dealings with Citibank.”
Citibank typically functions as an intermediary bank that facilitates cross-border dollar transfers to Nigerian banks. However, as Omotara noted, she has no direct account with Citibank, making her unable to trace the funds independently.
In search of clarity, she visited the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) office in Dugbe, Ibadan, where officials confirmed that the payment was never remitted into her account.
They said the money wasn’t received by Zenith Bank. Probably something went wrong in the transaction chain,” she explained.
Interestingly, Omotara confirmed she had since received subsequent payments from the same employer into the same account without issue, raising questions about the missing 2022 transaction.
When FIJ reached out to both Zenith Bank and Citibank for clarification, only Zenith Bank responded as of press time.
In a brief statement, the bank said:
Kindly advise the account holder to contact us for review and feedback. We are happy to help with other enquiries you may have and also here to serve you better.”
As of now, Omotara’s $500 remains unaccounted for, with no confirmation from Zenith Bank or Citibank regarding the transaction’s status.
Source: FIJ
