Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday sentenced one Samuel Asiegbu to three years in prison for his involvement in a ₦8.56 billion cyber fraud targeting Wema Bank Nigeria Plc.
Asiegbu was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside Hamza Zakaria, Nurudeen Ibrahim, and Alhaji Sulaiman (currently at large), on a four-count charge of conspiracy, stealing, and unauthorised computer access.
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The defendants were first arraigned on June 23, 2025, and initially pleaded not guilty.
However, Asiegbu later opted to change his plea to guilty, prompting his conviction and sentencing, while trial proceedings continue for the other accused persons.
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According to the EFCC, Asiegbu and his co-conspirators, in January 2025, unlawfully accessed Wema Bank’s computer systems and servers to divert a total of ₦8,568,090,500 from various accounts.
The offences, the anti-graft agency stated, contravened Sections 409 and 386 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
In delivering judgment, Justice Oshodi sentenced Asiegbu to 10 months and 8 days’ imprisonmenton count three and 1 year and 8 months on count four, both without the option of a fine.
The sentences are to run concurrently, amounting to a total of three years’ imprisonment.
The court struck out counts one and two and subsequently adjourned further hearing for the remaining defendants to November 14, 2025.
