On Tuesday, March 12, 2024, the Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought charges against three former employees of Access Bank and an accomplice for allegedly stealing N15,944,100 from the bank.
The accused individuals – Ogbu Kingsley Ibekwem, Nwagbara Chidimma, Uwaezuoke Raymond, and Chidubem Angela Mgbeke – are accused of siphoning the mentioned amount before it was scheduled to be moved to the Central Bank from the bank’s bullion unit.
According to a statement released by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, the suspects were handed over to the anti-graft agency by the Nottidge branch of the bank in Onitsha, Anambra State.
In a court appearance before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court in Enugu State, the suspects faced a four-count charge related to conspiracy and theft.
One of the charges stated: “In January 2023, in Onitsha, Anambra State, Ogbu Kingsley Ibekwe and Chidubem Angela Mgbeke conspired to retain the sum of N7,996,800 intended for transfer to the Central Bank of Nigeria, which belonged to Access Bank Plc Nottidge Branch, knowing it was proceeds of an unlawful act, thereby violating Section 21(a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, and punishable under Section 20(b).”
Upon hearing the charges, the defendants pleaded “not guilty”. The EFCC’s counsel, Ahmad Yusuf Abdullahi, requested a trial date and for the defendants to be held in custody at the Enugu State correctional facility.
Subsequently, Justice Umar adjourned the trial until May 22, 2024. The defendants were remanded in EFCC custody pending the hearing of their bail application.
Culled from NNNG