First Bank Staff Sent To Prison For Alleged Stealing N7.1m

A staff of First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Anthony Oghenakhogie has been arrested and arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate Court for allegedly stealing the sum of N7.1 million from the dormant accounts of three customers of the bank through ATM Card and fled to Accra, Ghana.

A Police source said that the arrest of the accused was made possible by the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ikoyi Division, Lagos, SP Tijani Mustapha following a complaint by the management of First Bank Plc through the Head of Forensic Department of the bank, Mr Akhanolu Solomon.

The accused, a resident of Mushin, Lagos was arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate Court, Lagos on a three-count charge of felony to wit forgery and stealing.

Police prosecutor, Abass Abayomi told the court that Oghenakhogie, 26 and others still at large committed the alleged offence between August and October 2017 during working hours at the First Bank of Nigeria Headquarters, Lagos.

Abayomi told the court that the accused forged the details of three dormant accounts of customers of the bank since 2007 and 2008, re-activated and modified them and linked his ATM card with it and withdrew the sum of N7,127,032 from the accounts and escaped to Ghana where he was arrested and brought back to Nigeria.

Abayomi said that the management of the bank uncovered the fraud when they audited their account.

He said that the offences the accused committed were punishable under sections 411, 365(3) and 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the alleged crime and Chief Magistrate, A.O Komolafe granted the accused bail in the sum of N5 million with two sureties in like sum who must show evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

Komolafe adjourned the case till 9 January, 2018 for mention and ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Ikoyi Prison, Lagos till he is able to perfect the bail conditions.