LAPO disowns Ogun woman who committed suicide over debt

The LAPO Microfinance Bank Limited has said that the woman in Ogun State who reportedly burnt herself to death over her inability to offset N70,000 loan was not its customer.

This was according to a statement released by the bank’s acting Head of Communications and Branding, Abel Ovenseri, in an effort to defend the company’s reputation, and sent to our correspondent.

In the statement, the microfinance bank claimed that the deceased woman was a customer of another financial institution.

The statement read, “Contrary to the allegation in a trending video on social media and reported in some newspapers, the woman in Ogun State who reportedly took her life over her inability to pay back a loan was not a customer of LAPO Microfinance Bank Limited.
“From our preliminary findings, which we are confident will be confirmed by an official independent investigation, she was a customer of a different financial institution, which the unsuspecting public misinterpreted as ‘LAPO’.”

The bank sympathized with the deceased woman’s family on the tragic incident and condemned any effort to tarnish the record and corporate its reputation.
“In recent years, there has been an increase in similar false allegations against LAPO MFB by persons who are pursuing an agenda.
“Notably, one of the false stories was peddled by the same individual in the latest video making the rounds. LAPO MFB is exploring legal options against such purveyors of fake news, demarketing and other unethical practices,” it added.

The bank further noted that while it encourages beneficiaries of LAPO MfB loans to comply with the terms of their agreement by making prompt payments, it also pays attention to customers facing legitimate financial difficulties.

In an earlier report, a middle-aged woman, known as Mama Dada, reportedly set herself ablaze in her rented apartment over her inability to offset a loan of N70,000 she allegedly took from LAPO.

It was gathered that the deceased got burnt beyond recognition as the entire building located at the Oke-Keesi, Itoko area of Abeokuta was razed.

Credit: Punch