Court remands Ecobank Operational Manager for stealing N14m from customers account

Operational manager of Ecobank of Nigeria, Ejigbo branch, Akhanenu Ikechukwu, 41, was on Monday remanded in Ikoyi Prison, after he was arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate Court in Lagos on Monday on a four-count charge of felony to wit fraud, forgery and stealing.

Ikechukwu was arraigned alongside one Nduka Stephen,36. 

Admitting the accused persons bail in the sum of N3m each following their not guilty plea, Magistrate P.A. Adekomaiya ordered that they be remanded in prison pending when they will fulfill their bail conditions. 

Ecobank's operational manager was said to have withdrawn N14,014.157 from the account of two customers of the bank without authority.

The police at the Ikoyi Division Lagos accused him of sharing the money with Stephen.

Police prosecutor, Inspector Igonbo Emby informed the court in charge No F/34/20/2016 that the accused persons committed the alleged offence between September and November 2015 during working hours.

Emby told the Court that the first accused used his position as the operational Manager of EcoBank, Ejigbo branch to fraudulently withdrew N10m from Account No. 2741128259 belonging to a customer of the bank, Rabiu Oladimeji Lawal, and N4m from another account with forged documents and transferred the money into his accomplice’s account from where they allegedly withdrew the money and shared it.

He said nemesis caught up with the first accused when the management of Ecobank audited their account book and discovered the fraud.

Emby said the offences are punishable under sections 409, 361(B), 285(7) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

Adekomaiya adjourned the case till 11 July, 2016 for mention.