Court Gives Former Banker 30 Days to Pay ₦1m Fine Over Bank Fraud

A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has convicted a former banker, Chukwuebuka Nweke, over the unauthorised withdrawal of ₦1 million from a customer’s account.

Justice Ismail Ijelu delivered the judgment on Monday, October 19, 2026, following a prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The commission said investigations revealed that Nweke, on June 21, 2025, accessed a desktop computer assigned to one Emmanuella Anyanwu without lawful authority, an act that facilitated the withdrawal of the funds from an account belonging to Leelee Dumbari and domiciled with a commercial bank.

The offence contravenes Section 386(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Following its investigation, the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 arraigned Nweke on a one-count charge relating to the unlawful withdrawal of the money.

He pleaded not guilty, leading to a full trial.

During the proceedings, prosecution counsel M.K. Bashir called five witnesses to establish the case against the defendant, while the defence presented one witness.

In his judgment, Justice Ijelu found Nweke guilty and ordered him to pay a fine of ₦1 million within 30 days.

The court further ruled that failure to pay the fine within the stipulated period would result in his remand in a correctional centre for six months.efcceE