The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, May 23, 2025, arraigned the trio of Samuel Ihechukwu, Fabian Chizaram and Kingsley Kelechi Ejim, who are employees of a bank, before Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

 

The commission in a statement released, said the suspects 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 N8.5bn (Eight Billion, Five Million Naira only).

 

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 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.Nigerian home decor ideas

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.

When the charges were read to them, they pleaded not guilty.

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 Nigerian Correctional Facility.

 

Responding, the defence counsel prayed the court to remand his client, Hanna Okunlola, in the EFCC’s 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.

However, Hannah Okunlola was remanded in EFCC custody.