Access Bank loses ₦3.5bn to alleged conmen

Access Bank Plc has lost a whopping sum of ₦3.5billion, to conmen, few months after losing to death its former managing director and CEO, Dr. Herbert Wigwe.

The bank which has approached the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the rescue, is currently battling in the law court to recover the stolen money allegedly taken away from its vault by three conmen.

The three men who allegedly stole the money from Access Bank’s vault are: Michael Igbomins, David Onyeike and Moses Iruolaje.

Meanwhile, the EFCC has arraigned the three men (as Defendants) before an Ikeja Special Offences Court, Lagos, over the alleged fraud.

The three men were arraigned before the court presided over by Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe, on two counts of stealing and retention of proceeds of crime.

The defendants, whose residential addresses were not provided, however, denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following the defendants’ plea, the prosecutor, Mr. Abdulhamid Tukur, asked the court for a trial date and also urged the court to remand them in a correctional facility.

READ ALSO: Access Bank solidifies position as Nigeria’s most valuable banking brand

But the lawyer to the defendants, informed the court that there was no pending application before the court and prayed the court for a short date, to enable him to do the needful.

Following the applications made by counsel, Justice Abike-Fadipe remanded the defendants in Ikoyi Custodial Centre pending the hearing and determination of their bail application.

The judge subsequently adjourned the case until November 28 for commencement of trial.

The EFCC prosecutor, Tukur while arraigning the defendants told the court that the defendants allegedly committed the offences sometime in 2023 in Lagos.

Tukur further told the court that the defendants, with dishonest intent, allegedly stole the N3.5 billion belonging to the Access Bank, and converted the same to their own use.

EFCC also alleged that the defendants retained the said amount of money, the proceeds they knew to have been from unlawful acts.

The defendants’ alleged fraudulent act, according to the prosecutor, contravened Section 17 of the EFCC Establishment Act, 2004 and Section 280 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.