Lagos, Nigeria – Zenith Bank Plc has distanced itself from a doctored video and manipulated images circulating on social media that falsely depict its Group Chairman, Jim Ovia, endorsing a fraudulent investment scheme called “Wealth Bridge.”
Okay News reports that the bank issued the disclaimer via its official X handle on Tuesday. According to the statement, the video, reportedly shared from a Facebook account named “Greece Island,” invites the public to enter into a business relationship with the entity. The clip falsely promises returns of up to N2 million weekly on an initial investment of N380,000 and claims the scheme has the backing of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
“This claim is entirely false and has no connection whatsoever to the Group Chairman, the bank, or any of its affiliate companies,” Zenith Bank said. “The video redirects unsuspecting members of the public to an alleged Arise News webpage with details of this scheme and an embedded registration portal. The general public is hereby advised to disregard these fraudulent communications.”
The emergence of AI-generated videos has become a growing tool for fraudsters targeting Nigerians. Last week, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala alerted the public to a fake video falsely portraying her promoting a similar investment scheme. Such schemes typically promise guaranteed high returns, claim regulatory endorsement, and use the likeness of prominent individuals to gain credibility. Zenith Bank cautioned that anyone engaging with the “Greece Island” handle or “Wealth Bridge” platforms does so at their own risk.
In its unaudited nine-month financial report ending September 2025, Zenith Bank posted a pre-tax profit of N917.4 billion. Gross earnings rose 16.3 percent year-on-year to N3.37 trillion.
