Diamond Bank staff sent to Ikoyi Prison over fraud

Justice Mohammed Yunusa of a Federal High Court, Lagos, on Thursday remanded a Diamond Bank employee, Obioha Okengwu, at Ikoyi Prisons for allegedly defrauding the bank of N111.2 million.

The accused, a graduate of Abia State University, whose address was not given, is standing trial on a nine-count charge bordering on conspiracy and fraud.

Prosecutor Effiong Asuquo told the court that the accused committed the offences between April and August 2014 in Lagos.

He said the accused conspired with members of his family to defraud the bank.

According to him, the accused committed the offences while working in the e-Business unit of the bank, handling daily settlement entries of transactions done on Point of Sales (POS) and Automated Teller Machine (ATM).

He said the accused unlawfully credited huge sums of money into his family’s account instead of the bank’s accounts.

“At different times, N37million and N41. 4 million was lodged into two accounts owned by one Uchenna Okengwu.

“The accused also credited the sum of N10 million into the account of one Rosamund Okengwu and N9.5 million paid into one Chukwuemeka Okengwu’s account.”

The prosecutor urged the court to remand the accused in prison pending the commencement of trial.

The offences contravened Sections 20, 27 (b) and 30 (1) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, 2015.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The case has been adjourned to Sept. 22 for hearing of the bail application.