Three men Michael Igbomins, David Onyeike and Moses Iruolaje have allegedly stolen the sum of N3.5 billion from the vault of Access Bank Plc. The bank is currently battling to recover the stolen funds -with the country’s anti-graft agency already called in.The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned the three suspects before an Ikeja Special Offences Court, Lagos, over the alleged fraud. The three men were arraigned before the court presided over by Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe, on two counts of stealing and retention of proceeds of crime. The defendants, however, denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following the defendants’ plea, the prosecutor, Mr. Abdulhamid Tukur, asked the court for a trial date and also urged the court to remand them in a correctional facility.
But lawyer to the defendants, informed the court that there was no pending application before the court and prayed the court for a short date, to enable him do the needful.
Following the applications made by counsel, Justice Abike-Fadipe remanded the defendants in Ikoyi Custodial Centre pending the hearing and determination of their bail application.
The judge subsequently adjourned the case until November 28 for commencement of trial.
The EFCC prosecutor, Tukur while arraigning the defendants told the court that the defendants allegedly committed the offences sometimes in 2023 in Lagos.
Tukur further told the court that the defendants, with dishonest intent, allegedly stole the N3.5 billion belonging to the Access Bank, and converted same to their own use.
EFCC also alleged that the defendants retained the said amount of money, the proceed they knew to have been from unlawful act.