By Ibrahim Salaudeen, Lagos
A former employee of Access Bank Plc, Chinonso Akujobi, has been arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the alleged theft of N294.5 million belonging to the bank.
Akujobi was brought before Justice I.O. Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja on Thursday on a five-count charge bordering on alleged stealing and unlawful conversion of bank funds.
According to the EFCC, the defendant allegedly diverted a total of N294,595,992 while in the employment of the bank between January and December 2025.
One of the charges alleged that Akujobi, with dishonest intent, unlawfully transferred N109,325,566.86 from the bank’s general ledger into an Access Bank account bearing the names “Chinonso A., Uchechi A. and Florence A.”
The charge reads: “That you, Chinonso Akujobi, sometime between January and December, 2025, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with a dishonest intent, and while under the employment of Access Bank Plc, stole and converted for your own use, by unauthorized payments from the general ledger of the bank to your Access Bank account number 0036668871 with the name Chinonso A., Uchechi A. and Florence A., the sum of N109,325,566.86 (One Hundred and Nine Million Three Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Five Hundred and Sixty-six Naira Eighty-six Kobo), thereby committed an offence of stealing, contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all five counts when they were read in court.
Following the plea, the prosecution counsel, S.M. Yabo, urged the court to fix a date for trial and requested that the defendant be remanded in a correctional facility pending the determination of the case.
Justice Ijelu subsequently adjourned the matter until October 8, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and the commencement of trial.
The court also ordered that Akujobi be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending further proceedings.
