Three former employees of Access Bank found themselves in the dock as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought charges against them for alleged fraud amounting to N15.9 million.
The accused individuals, identified as Ogbu Kingsley Ibekwem, Nwagbara Chidimma, and Uwaezuoke Raymond, along with Chidubem Angela Mgbeke, were arraigned before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court in Enugu State on Tuesday.
The charges against them include conspiracy and stealing, with the total sum involved stated as N15,944,100.00. One of the counts specifically accuses Ibekwem and Mgbeke of conspiring to retain N7,996,800.00 meant for evacuation to the Central Bank of Nigeria, which was property of Access Bank Plc’s Nottidge Branch in Onitsha, Anambra State.
During the court proceedings, the accused pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
The EFCC’s counsel, Ahmad Yusuf Abdullahi, requested a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded at Enugu State Correctional facility. However, the defense counsel, O. O. Orji, presented a bail application before the court.
Justice Umar adjourned the trial to May 22, 2024, and ordered the defendants to be remanded in EFCC custody pending the hearing of the bail application.
It was disclosed that Ibekwem, Chidimma, and Raymond were handed over to the EFCC by Access Bank plc on February 22, 2023, for allegedly pilfering the aforementioned sum before it could be evacuated to the bullion unit of the bank for subsequent movement to the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The accused individuals were formerly employed at the Nottidge branch of the bank in Onitsha, Anambra State.
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