Erastus Akingbola, the sacked boss of Intercontinental Bank Plc, has defied the order of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to report to its office in Abuja. Akingbola is one of the five managing directors of banks the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Sanusi Lamido sacked last week Friday over sharp practices in their banks that have resulted in unpaid debts running into hundreds of billions of naira. Rather than honour EFCC’s invitation, Akingbola is said to have stayed back in London where he was believed to have sneaked to last Friday when he got wind of his impending sack, A close aide of the top banker confided in P.M. News that Akingbola left the country for the United Kingdom in the evening of last Friday before the news of his sack could spread to the public domain. He managed to escape being intercepted by security agents who apparently, at the time, were not unaware of his travails. Since his sack last week, the embattled banker has not been seen at his residence in Lagos, fuelling speculations that he stayed back in London to avoid being arrested. Before the banking shake-up last Friday, P.M.News gathered that Akingbola had planned to attend the wedding of his cousin in London. So, when the bubble burst, and he got wind of his sack, he decided to stay back in the UK. There are indications that he may not return to Nigeria soon in view of the axe that is dangling over his head. It was gathered that even if he decides to leave London, his next port of call may be Ghana where he owns a mansion and frequently visited while he called the shots at Intercontinental Bank. The EFCC has already declared wanted Akingbola along with other sacked bank CEOs and directors yet to report to the anti-graft agency, but the erstwhile Intercontinental boss has gone to court to challenge his sack by the CBN. Akingbola, who was very influential as a top banker, is the President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and a Vice President of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Source: www.nairaland.com