Photo caption: Wema Bank
Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, convicted and sentenced a staff of Wema Bank, Samuel Ihechukwu Asiegbu to three years imprisonment without an option of fine, for his involvement in the bank’s server hacking and theft of N8,568,090,500 belonging to customers.
The trio of Asiegbu, Fabian Onyemaechi and Kingsley Kelechi Ejim, who were staff members of Wema Bank Plc, and four others – Hamza Zakariya, Achonu Chukwuka Ubaka, Sunday Osademe and Nurudeen Ibrahim, allegedly conspired with others at large to manipulate and alter data in Wema Bank’s system in January 2025, resulting in the theft of N8,568,090,500.
They were arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing, and unauthorized access to a computer system with intent to commit fraud, contrary to Sections 409 and 386 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The defendants were first arraigned on June 23, 2025, and all initially pleaded not guilty. However, Asiegbu later changed his plea to guilty, prompting the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
Justice Oshodi sentenced Asiegbu to 10 months and 8 days’ imprisonment on count three and 1 year and 8 months on count four, both without an option of fine. The sentences are to run concurrently. Consequently, the court struck out counts one and two.
Photo caption: Samuel Ihechukwu Asiegbu
Justice Oshodi adjourned the case to November 14, 2025, for further proceedings against the remaining defendants.
The EFCC alleged that Samuel Ihechukwu Asiegbu, Ejim Kingsley Kelechi, Hamzat Zakariya, Onyeimachi Fabian, Achonu Chukwuka Ubaka, Sunday Osademe and Nurudeen Ibrahim, Alhaji Sulaiman at large and other persons at large, sometimes in January 2025, conspired among themselves to steal money from Wema Bank Nigeria Plc.
Count two reads, “Samuel Ihechuckwu Asiegbu, Ejim Kingsley Kelechi, Hamzat Zakariya, Onyeimachi Fabian, Achonu Chukwuka Ubaka, Sunday Osademe and Nurudeen Ibrahim, Alhaji Sulaiman at large and other persons at large, sometimes in January 2025, stole and converted to your own use and aggregate sum of N8,568,090,500 billion from Wema Bank Plc.
Count three reads, “Samuel Ihechuckwu Asiegbu, Ejim Kingsley Kelechi, Hamzat Zakariya, Onyeimachi Fabian, Achonu Chukwuka Ubaka, Sunday Osademe and Nurudeen Ibrahim, Alhaji Sulaiman at large and other persons at large, sometimes in January 2025, conspired among yourselves without authority, unauthorised of access of computer system of Wema Bank in order to facilitate the stealing of the money.
Count four reads “Samuel Ihechuckwu Asiegbu, Ejim Kingsley Kelechi, Hamzat Zakariya, Onyeimachi Fabian, Achonu Chukwuka Ubaka, Sunday Osademe and Nurudeen Ibrahim, Alhaji Sulaiman at large and other persons at large, sometimes in January 2025, unauthorised of access with intent to commit and impersonate the commitment other offences contrary to Section 386 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.
“Samuel Ihechuckwu Asiegbu, Ejim Kingsley Kelechi, Hamzat Zakariya, Onyeimachi Fabian, Achonu Chukwuka Ubaka, Sunday Osademe and Nurudeen Ibrahim, Alhaji Sulaiman at large and other persons at large, sometimes in January 2025, sometimes in January 2025, had unauthorised access to Wema Bank computer and server with intent to facilitate the stealing of an aggregate sum of sum of N8,568,090,500 billion from account domiciled at Wema Bank Nigeria Plc.”
