Ex-Fidelity Bank staff jailed for fraud

A former staff of Fidelity Bank Plc, Ihionu Chibuike, on Thursday bagged six years imprisonment for fraud.
Justice Lateef Akapo of an Ikeja High Court sentenced him to jail after pleading guilty to the four-count charge of stealing, obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and impersonation.
The charge was brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

National Daily reports that the convict had in 2013 opened a savings account number 6052039264 in the name of a certain Chimezie Ifekwe with relevant document as instructed by the bank.
The victim, Mr. Ifekwe, reportedly transferred money into the Fidelity account purportedly opened for him.
According to Nigerian Tribune newspaper, a part of the charge reads: “Ihionu Chibuike sometime in February, 2013 within the Ikeja judicial division, stole and fraudulently converted to your own personal use the sum of N4.8 million, property of Mrs. Chibuzo Nwakwu.
“Ihionu Chibuike sometimes in the month of February, 2013 at Ikeja, within the Ikeja Judicial Division stole and fraudulently converted to own personal use the sum ofN200.000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) property of Chimezie Ifekwe.
“Ihionu Chibuike, sometime in February, 2013 within the Ikeja Judicial Division and in order to facilitate the commission of the offence of stealing forged the account opening documents of Fidelity Bank Plc purporting same to be that of Chimezie Ifekwe, the account holder.
“Ihionu Chibuike, sometime in February, 2013 within the Ikeja judicial division and in order to facilitate the commission of the offence of stealing forged instruction letter of Fidelity Bank Plc and gave same to Chimezie Ifekwe purporting same to have emanated from Fidelity Bank Plc.”
Delivering his judgment, Mr. Akapo declared that the former Fidelity Bank staff should spend one year each on the first and second count, two years on the third, and two on the fourth. The judge also ordered that upon completing his jail term, Mr. Chibuike should refund N1,451,592, being the outstanding balance, to the victim.
He however ruled that Mr. Chibuike’s two years jail term should run concurrently from the day of the sentence.
The convict has so far refunded N3,498,408 of the stolen sum.