Ex-Bank Staff Arrested Over N15.9m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), arraigned three former bankers, Ogbu Kingsley Ibekwem, Nwagbara Chidimma and Uwaezuoke Raymond and Chidubem Angela Mgbeke before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu State.

They were arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing to the tune of N15,944,100.00 (Fifteen Million, Nine Hundred and Forty-four Thousand, One Hundred Naira).

One of the counts reads: “That you, Ogbu Kingsley Ibekwe and Chidubem Angela Mgbeke sometime in January 2023 in Onitsha, Anambra State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit; retaining the sum of N7,996,800.00 (Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety-six Thousand, Eight Hundred Naira) meant for evacuation to the Central Bank of Nigeria and property of Access Bank Plc Nottidge Branch, Onitsha which you knew or ought to have known to be proceeds of an unlawful act and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and punishable under Section 20 (b)”.

They pleaded “not guilty” when the charges were read to them. In view of their pleas, counsel to the EFCC, Ahmad Yusuf Abdullahi, prayed the court for a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded at Enugu State Correctional facility. Defence counsel, O. O. Orji, however, informed the court of a bail application already placed before it.

Justice Umar thereafter adjourned the matter to May 22, 2024 for trial. The defendants were remanded at the EFCC custody pending the hearing of bail application.

Ibekwem, Chidimma and Raymond were handed over to the EFCC on February 22, 2023 by Access Bank plc for pilfering N15,944,100.00 before it was evacuated to the bullion unit of the bank for subsequent movement to the Central Bank of Nigeria. They were former staff of the Nottidge branch of the bank in Onitsha, Anambra State.