Court Denies Banker Bail Over Alleged N8.5bn Theft

Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Special Offences Court successful Ikeja has refused to assistance bail to Samuel Asiegbu, an worker of Wema Bank Plc, who is facing proceedings for allegedly defrauding the slope of N8,568,090,500.

Justice Oshodi dismissed the bail exertion due to the fact that the grounds against Asiegbu is important and helium mightiness not look for trial.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned the suspect alongside six others for conspiracy and fraud.

The tribunal had granted bail to his co-defendants, Ejim Kelechi, Onyeimachi Fabian, Hamzat Zakariya, Achonu, Ubaka, Sunday Osademe, and Nurudeen Ibrahim.

The defendants are charged with conspiracy, unauthorised entree to a machine system, and theft of much than N8.5 cardinal from WEMA Bank.

The tribunal besides fixed the proceeding of the plea bargain agreements of the first, fourth, fifth, and sixth defendants for September 19.

EFCC counsel Mohammed Bashir informed the justice that the bureau had received plea bargain applications from respective defendants during the court’s vacation.

He noted that these applications were approved, but for the 4th defendant, who is inactive pending.

Bashir urged the tribunal to hole the earliest imaginable day for the plea bargain hearing.

The counsels for the first, fourth, fifth, and sixth defendants—Victoria Aniohu, Nnamdi Anoka, and M.H. Oba-Temi—confirmed the presumption of the applications to the court.

But Dr. Benson Enikuomehin, the counsel for the 2nd defendant, was absent.

After reviewing the assorted applications from the defendants’ counsels and the prosecution’s responses, the tribunal ruled: “As for the archetypal defendant’s bail application, it is refused. I americium not convinced that capable grounds has been presented to warrant granting bail.”

The justice granted bail to the 2nd to seventh defendants, successful the sum of N50 cardinal each, taxable to conditions.

The justice ordered the defendants to supply 2 liable sureties successful a similar sum and taxable affidavits proving their lawful employment wrong the court’s jurisdiction.

The tribunal further stipulated that the second, fourth, and sixth defendants holding valid planetary passports indispensable surrender their passports to the court’s main registrar.

The third, fifth, and seventh defendants, lacking valid passports, indispensable supply a written undertaking promising not to use for oregon get question documents without the court’s anterior consent.

Justice Oshodi directed that the archetypal defendant’s bail exertion beryllium denied.

He besides emphasised the request for an expedited proceeding to guarantee a swift proceedings for each defendants.

He had adjourned further proceedings to September 19, 2025.