A Lagos Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja has convicted and sentenced a staff member of Wema Bank Plc, Samuel Ihechukwu Asiegbu, to three years’ imprisonment for unauthorised access to the bank’s computer system to facilitate the theft of N8.56 billion.
Justice Rahman Oshodi found Asiegbu guilty as charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Asiegbu was arraigned alongside three other defendants: Hamza Zakaria, Nurudeen Ibrahim, and Alhaji Sulaiman, on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing, and unauthorised access to a computer system with intent to commit fraud.
The EFCC alleged that the defendants and others still at large, sometime in January 2025, conspired to gain unauthorised access to the computer systems of Wema Bank Nigeria Plc to facilitate the theft of the money. The offences contravene Sections 409 and 386 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The defendants were first arraigned on June 23, 2025, and all pleaded not guilty. However, Asiegbu later changed his plea to guilty, leading the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
Justice Oshodi sentenced Asiegbu to 10 months and eight days’ imprisonment on count three, and one year and eight months on count four, both without an option of fine. The court struck out counts one and two and ordered that the sentences run concurrently.
The EFCC further alleged that the defendants and others at large, in January 2025, unlawfully accessed the bank’s computer system and server to facilitate the theft of an aggregate sum of N8,568,090,500 from accounts domiciled in Wema Bank Plc.
The case was adjourned to November 14, 2025, for the continuation of the trial against the remaining defendants.
