Bank manager, wife docked over alleged stealing of N209m

State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Panti, Lagos of the Nigerian Police, has charged an Ecobank Nigeria Plc., Customer Services Manager, Mrs Tosin Lawal and her husband, Michael before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, for allegedly stealing the sum of N209 million.

The accused were accused of obtaining Ecobank customers deposits, amounting to N209.6m, under the pretext that the amount was being posted to the lawful owners’ accounts, a representation they knew to be false and thereby committed an offence, punishable under Section 419 of the Criminal Code.

The police prosecuting officer, Mr Nosa Ununnogho, alleged that Tosin and Michael, between 22 April and 6 September, 2011 at Ecobank Nigeria Plc, Allen Avenue, Ikeja branch, did conspire to steal and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code, law of the Federation 2004.

In another count of the charge, Tosin, was said to be a Customer Services Manager of the bank, at the same time and place, with the intention to defraud, knowingly made fraudulent account concerning transactions in various customers’ accounts under her control and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 438 of the Criminal Code laws of the Federation.

According to the fourth count, the accused were alleged to have stolen N209.6m, property of Ecobank of Nigeria Plc and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 390 of the Criminal Code.

They were first arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, before the case was later transferred to the Federal High Court in Lagos by the court.

The case, however, could not go on at the resumed hearing in the matter due to absence of the first accused, Tosin, who is still in Criminal Investigation Department, CID, while her husband, Michael, is in Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, custody.

Trial judge, Justice Okechukwu Okeke, adjourned the matter for the arraignment of the accused persons.

4 COMMENTS

  1. This is a function of the Nigerian system that one must do shady deals to to become rich including politicking and stealing from the national treasury. It also shows clearly that the bank’s security system is weak and it is too liquid so as not to realize that such monies were being siphoned from it. To the husband and wife, I salute your courage but I don’t envy your actions in any single way.