EFCC arraigns ex-bank employee over alleged N294.6m theft in Lagos

Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned a former employee of a new-generation bank, Chinonso Akujobi, before Justice I.O. Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja over an alleged theft of N294,595,992.

Akujobi was brought before the court on Thursday, July 9, 2026, on a five-count charge bordering on stealing and unlawful conversion of bank funds amounting to N294.5 million.

According to one of the charges, the defendant, while employed by Access Bank Plc, allegedly diverted funds from the bank’s general ledger into Access Bank account number 0036668871, bearing the names Chinonso A., Uchechi A., and Florence A.

The charge stated that the alleged offence occurred between January and December 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of the court, and involved the sum of N109,325,566.86.

The EFCC alleged that the defendant acted with dishonest intent by converting the funds for personal use through unauthorised payments, an offence said to be contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

When the charges were read to her, Akujobi pleaded not guilty to all counts.

Following the plea, prosecution counsel, S.M. Yabo, requested that the court fix a date for trial and order the defendant’s remand in a correctional facility pending further proceedings.

Justice Ijelu subsequently adjourned the matter until October 8, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and commencement of trial.

The court also ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.