Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, convicted and sentenced a Wema Bank staff, Samuel Ihechukwu Asiegbu, to three years imprisonment without an option of fine for his role in hacking the bank’s server and stealing N8,568,090,500 belonging to customers.
Asiegbu, alongside Fabian Onyemaechi and Kingsley Kelechi Ejim—also Wema Bank staff—allegedly conspired with Hamza Zakariya, Achonu Chukwuka Ubaka, Sunday Osademe, Nurudeen Ibrahim, and others still at large to manipulate and alter data in Wema Bank’s system in January 2025, resulting in the theft of over N8.5 billion.
They were charged on a four-count information bordering on conspiracy, stealing, and unauthorized access to a computer system with intent to commit fraud, contrary to Sections 409 and 386 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The defendants were first arraigned on June 23, 2025, and all pleaded not guilty. However, Asiegbu later changed his plea to guilty, leading the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
Justice Oshodi sentenced Asiegbu to 10 months and 8 days imprisonment on count three and 1 year and 8 months on count four, both without an option of fine. The sentences are to run concurrently. Consequently, counts one and two were struck out.
The court adjourned further proceedings against the remaining defendants to November 14, 2025.
According to the EFCC, “Samuel Ihechukwu Asiegbu, Ejim Kingsley Kelechi, Hamzat Zakariya, Onyeimachi Fabian, Achonu Chukwuka Ubaka, Sunday Osademe, and Nurudeen Ibrahim, Alhaji Sulaiman (at large) and other persons (at large), sometime in January 2025, conspired among themselves to steal money from Wema Bank Nigeria Plc.”
Count two reads: “Samuel Ihechuckwu Asiegbu, Ejim Kingsley Kelechi, Hamzat Zakariya, Onyeimachi Fabian, Achonu Chukwuka Ubaka, Sunday Osademe and Nurudeen Ibrahim, Alhaji Sulaiman at large and other persons at large, sometimes in January 2025, stole and converted to your own use an aggregate sum of N8,568,090,500 billion from Wema Bank Plc.”
Count three reads: “Samuel Ihechuckwu Asiegbu, Ejim Kingsley Kelechi, Hamzat Zakariya, Onyeimachi Fabian, Achonu Chukwuka Ubaka, Sunday Osademe and Nurudeen Ibrahim, Alhaji Sulaiman at large and other persons at large, sometimes in January 2025, conspired among yourselves without authority and had unauthorized access to the computer system of Wema Bank in order to facilitate the stealing of the money.”
Count four reads: “Samuel Ihechuckwu Asiegbu, Ejim Kingsley Kelechi, Hamzat Zakariya, Onyeimachi Fabian, Achonu Chukwuka Ubaka, Sunday Osademe and Nurudeen Ibrahim, Alhaji Sulaiman at large and other persons at large, sometimes in January 2025, had unauthorized access with intent to commit and impersonate the commission of other offences contrary to Section 386 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.”
The EFCC further stated: “Samuel Ihechuckwu Asiegbu, Ejim Kingsley Kelechi, Hamzat Zakariya, Onyeimachi Fabian, Achonu Chukwuka Ubaka, Sunday Osademe and Nurudeen Ibrahim, Alhaji Sulaiman at large and other persons at large, sometimes in January 2025, had unauthorized access to Wema Bank’s computer and server with intent to facilitate the stealing of an aggregate sum of N8,568,090,500 billion from accounts domiciled at Wema Bank Nigeria Plc.”