The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday, May 23, 2025, arraigned three bankers and four accomplices before Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, over an alleged #8.5 billion bank fraud.
The defendants – Samuel Ihechukwu Asiegbu, Fabian Chizaram Onyeimachi, and Kingsley Kelechi Ejim, all employees of a first-generation bank, were arraigned alongside Hannah Okunlola Adesokan, Hamza Zakariya, Achionu Chukwuka Ubaku, and Sunday Osademe.
They face an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of #8,568,090,500 (Eight Billion, Five Hundred and Sixty-Eight Million, Ninety Thousand, Five Hundred Naira).
One of the counts reads:
“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 others now at large, sometime in January 2025, conspired amongst yourselves to cause loss of property to bank accounts domiciled in Wema Bank Nigeria Plc., in order to confer economic benefit on yourselves, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 27(1)(a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under the same Act.”
Another charge states:
“That you, SAMUEL IHECHUKWU ASIEGBU, and other persons now at large, sometime in January 2025, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, knowingly and without authority caused the loss of an aggregate sum of A8,568,090,500, property of Wema Bank Plc., by altering, erasing and inputting data held in accounts domiciled in Wema Bank Plc.’s computer systems for the purpose of conferring economic benefit on yourselves, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under the same Act.”
All defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following their pleas, EFCC counsel, Aso Larrys Peters, requested the court to fix a trial date and to remand the defendants in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS).
However, counsel to Hannah Okunlola pleaded with the court to allow her remain in EFCC custody due to health concerns.
Justice Osiagor adjourned the case to June 6, 2025 for trial. He ordered that five of the defendants be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service, while Kingsley Kelechi Ejim was allowed to continue on his existing bail.
Hannah Okunlola was remanded in EFCC custody, as requested by her counsel.