The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested three employees of Wema Bank over the alleged N8.5 billion fraud.
The bank employees — Samuel Ihechukwu, Fabian Chizaram and Kingsley Kelechi Ejim — were arraigned on Monday at the federal high court in Lagos on an eight-count bordering on alleged conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence.
They were arraigned alongside their alleged accomplices, Hanna Okunlola, Hamza Zakariya, Achionu Chukwuka Ubaku and Sunday Osademe.
“That you SAMUEL IHECHUKWU ASIEGBU, EJIM KINGSLEY KELECHI, HAMZA ZAKARIA, ONYEIMACHI FABIAN, ACHIONU CHUKWUKA UBAKA, ADESOKAN, HANNAH OKUNLOLA, Nurudeen Ibrahim (at large). Alhaji Sulaiman (at large) and other persons at large sometime in January 2025, conspired amongst yourselves to cause loss of property to bank accounts domicile in Wema Bank Nigeria Plc. in order to confer economic benefit to yourselves, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27(1)(a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under the same Act,” the charge sheet reads.
“That you SAMUEL IHECHUKWU ASIEGBU and other persons at large, sometime in January 2025, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court knowingly and without authority caused the loss of an aggregate sum of N8,568,090,500 (Eight Billion, Five Hundred and Sixty-eight Milion, Ninety Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) property of Wema Bank Plc. by altering, erasing and inputting data held in accounts domicile in Wema Bank Pic. computer for the purpose of conferring economic benefit on yourself and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under the same Act.”
When the charge sheet was read, they pleaded not guilty.
After the defendants took their pleas, Aso Peters, the prosecution counsel, asked the court for a trial date and prayed that the defendants be remanded in the correctional facility.
However, the defence counsel appealed to the court that Okunlola be remanded in the EFCC custody because of her ill health.
The request was granted by Daniel Osiagor, the trial judge.
Osiagor adjourned the matter to June 6 for trial and remanded five of the defendants in the facility of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), while Ejim was to continue on his existing bail.
