Photo caption: Wema Bank
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned the trio of Samuel Ihechukwu, Fabian Chizaram and Kingsley Kelechi Ejim, who are staff members of Wema Bank Plc, before Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos for alleged cyber-enabled fraud to the tune of N8.5 billion.
They were arraigned alongside their accomplices, Hanna Okunlola Adesokan, Hamza Zakariya, Achionu Chukwuka Ubaku and Sunday Osademe on an eight-count charge bordering on alleged conspiracy and obtaining under false pretence to the tune of N8.5billion.
According to the EFCC, the defendants allegedly conspired with others now at large to manipulate and alter data in Wema Bank’s system in January 2025, resulting in the loss of N8,568,090,500.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Samuel Ihechukwu Asiegbu, Ejim Kingsley Kelechi and other persons 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 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.
Another count 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.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them.
In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, Aso Larrys Peters, prayed the court for a trial date and that the defendants be remanded in the Nigeria Correctional Facility.
Responding, the defence counsel prayed the court to remand his client, Hanna Okunlola in the EFCC custody because of her ill health.
Justice Osiagor adjourned the matter to June 6, 2025 for trial and remanded five of the defendants in the facility of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS), while Kingsley Ejim Kelechi was to continue on his existing bail.
The judge, however ordered that Hannah Okunlola be remanded in EFCC custody and adjourned the case to June 6, 2025, for trial.
