An Enugu State High Court has sentenced two former bank officials, Sani Endurance Aferokhe and Hillary Odo, to various jail terms for diverting over ₦10.3 million belonging to bank customers, most of whom were pensioners.
The conviction was handed down by Justice A.O. Onovo of the Enugu State High Court sitting at Independence Layout, following their prosecution by the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The EFCC had arraigned the duo on January 18, 2016, on a 15-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and stealing, relating to the unlawful diversion of funds from customers’ accounts while they were staff of Intercontinental Bank Plc, now Access Bank Plc.
Court documents revealed that the former bankers abused their positions of trust by reactivating dormant accounts belonging to unsuspecting customers, including pensioners, without consent and siphoning funds for personal gain.
One of the charges showed that on November 21, 2012, the convicts unlawfully withdrew ₦4.44 million from the account of Udekwu F.A.O., while another count detailed the diversion of ₦2,113,610.40 from the account of Onuora George on October 12, 2012, both domiciled at the Nsukka branch of the bank.
The offences were said to be contrary to Section 459(a) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 30, Laws of Enugu State, 2004.
The defendants pleaded not guilty, leading to a full trial during which the EFCC, through its counsel, Michael Ikechukwu Ani, presented five witnesses and tendered several documentary exhibits.
In his judgment delivered on Friday, December 22, 2025, Justice Onovo dismissed counts six and nine but found the defendants guilty on several other counts.
Hillary Odo, the second defendant, was convicted on counts four and seven and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on each count, with an option of a ₦100,000 fine per count.
Sani Endurance Aferokhe, the first defendant, was convicted on counts one, two, three, five, eight, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15.
He was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on each count, except count 15, which attracted a three-year jail term. Each count also carried an option of a ₦100,000 fine.
The court held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, stressing that the convicts conspired to defraud vulnerable pensioners by manipulating bank systems for personal enrichment.
The EFCC said the judgment underscored its commitment to holding financial institution workers accountable and protecting the savings of Nigerians, especially retirees who depend on their pensions for survival.
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