Court fines former banker N1m over bank fraud in Lagos

The Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has fined a former banker, Chukwuebuka Nweke, N1 million for unlawfully accessing a computer used to facilitate the withdrawal of the same amount from a customer’s bank account.

According to a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) spokesperson Dele Oyewale on Tuesday, the judge Ismail Ijelu convicted Mr Nweke on Monday, after a trial in which the prosecution called five witnesses and the defence called one.

The commission stated that Mr Nweke accessed a desktop computer assigned to Emmanuella Anyanwu without lawful authority on 21 June 2025. The act facilitated the unauthorised withdrawal of N1 million from an account belonging to Leelee Dumbari.

The EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 prosecuted Mr Nweke on one count of unlawful withdrawal.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge brought under Section 386(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

In his judgement, Mr Ijelu ordered Mr Nweke to pay a fine of N1 million within 30 days, failing which he would be remanded in a correctional centre for six months.

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Recently, the court convicted Samuel Asiegbu over charges involving computer-related fraud.

Mr Asiegbu was arraigned on 23 June 2025 alongside several others on four counts of conspiracy, stealing and unauthorised access to a computer system with intent to commit fraud, contrary to Sections 409 and 386 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

After a trial that lasted 135 days, the court sentenced him to 10 months and eight days’ imprisonment on count three and one year and eight months on count four, with no option of a fine. The sentences are to run concurrently, while counts one and two were struck out.