Ecobank Robbery Blow: Security Staff Implicated in $4M Theft

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has revealed that the dramatic US$4 million robbery at Ecobank’s Bulawayo branch in October last year was orchestrated with help from insiders, including company security personnel.

Addressing journalists on Tuesday, National Police Spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said investigations have shown that the heist was not purely an external operation but involved people with intimate knowledge of the bank’s systems.

He also announced that the police are intensifying efforts to extradite the key suspects brothers Abraham Temayi Vumbunu and Elijah Temayi Vumbunu who were arrested in South Africa on 5 July 2025.

Another suspect, Bhekani Mlilo, was extradited from Botswana on 19 November 2025 and is already in remand custody in Zimbabwe.

“We are pushing to have the Vumbunu brothers brought back to Zimbabwe,” Commissioner Nyathi said, noting that the police are working with South African authorities to complete all legal requirements for extradition.

He explained that extradition processes take time as suspects must first appear in courts within the arresting country before being transferred. “There are established procedures that must be followed when someone is arrested outside Zimbabwe,” he said.

Commissioner Nyathi used the briefing to urge companies, particularly those in the financial sector, to strengthen employee screening processes. He warned that many high-value crimes have recently involved staff members with access to sensitive information.

He pointed to a recent incident in which a bakery driver, assigned to transport US$10 000 from Banket to Chinhoyi, allegedly worked with relatives and members of the security forces to stage a fake robbery before sharing the stolen cash.

“Businesses should remain alert. Employees must not be allowed to connive with outsiders to strip organisations of their investments,” he cautioned.