Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Thursday convicted one Hannah Okunlola Adesokan over an alleged N8.5 billion fraud that occurred in Wema Bank Plc.
Adesokan was first arraigned on May 23, 2025, alongside six others—Samuel Ihechukwu, Fabian Chizaram, and Kingsley Kelechi Ejim, who are all employees of Wema Bank Plc – on an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence totaling ₦8.5 billion (Eight Billion, Five Hundred Million Naira). The other defendants are Hamza Zakariya, Achionu Chukwuka Ubaku, and Sunday Osademe.
The charges border on conspiracy, stealing, unauthorized access to a computer system, and impersonation. According to the EFCC, the accused conspired in January 2025 to illegally access Wema Bank’s computer system and steal the said amount.
Initially, Adesokan pleaded “not guilty” to the charges. However, during Thursday’s proceedings, she was re-arraigned on an amended charge and changed her plea to “guilty.”
One of the charges reads: “That you, Adesokan Hannah Okunlola, sometime in January 2025, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, retained control of the sum of ₦4,500,000.00 (Four Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira), which forms part of the sum of ₦199,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Ninety-Nine Million Naira) paid into your United Bank for Africa account number 1020676282, Search Light Media Concept, being money fraudulently obtained from illegal cyber-criminal activities, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 17(a) and (b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004 and punishable under the same Act.”
Following her guilty plea, prosecution counsel Fanen Anum tendered in evidence the defendant’s statements, a petition from the bank, and her UBA account statement.
He subsequently urged the court to convict the defendant and order the forfeiture of the recovered funds to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Justice Osiagor convicted Adesokan and sentenced her to six months’ imprisonment with an option of a ₦250,000 (Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) fine.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of ₦4,500,000.00 to the Federal Government of Nigeria, in favour of the affected bank.
Adesokan was found to have fraudulently received ₦4.5 million in her UBA account through internet-related criminal activities.
She was subsequently charged to court and sentenced.