Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, has convicted and sentenced one Samuel Ihechukwu Asiegbu to three years’ imprisonment without an option of fine for his involvement in an ₦8.56 billion fraud against Wema Bank Nigeria Plc.
Mr Asiegbu, who’s the first defendant, was arraigned alongside other defendants on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing, and unauthorised 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, Mr Asiegbu later changed his plea to guilty, prompting the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
The trial of the remaining defendants will continue.
Justice Oshodi sentenced him 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 and to run concurrently. The court subsequently struck out counts one and two.
Count three reads: “SAMUEL IHECHUKWU ASIEGBU, HAMZA ZAKARIA, NURUDEEN IBRAHIM, ALHAJI SULAIMAN (at Large) and other persons at large sometime in January 2025, conspired amongst yourselves without authorisation to access Computer systems of Wema Bank Nigeria Plc In order to facilifate the steaing of the money”.
Count four reads : “SAMUEL IHECHUKWU ASIEGBU, HAMZA ZAKARIA, NURUDEEN IBRAHIM, ALHAJI SULAIMAN (at Large) and other persons at large sometime in January 2025, had unauthorised access to the Wema Bank Computer and server with intent to facilitate the stealing of an aggregate sum of N8,568,090.500 (Eight Billion, Five Hundred and Sixty-eight Million, Ninety Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) from accounts domiciled at Wema Bank Nigeria Plc”.
The case has been adjourned to November 14, 2025, for further proceedings against the remaining defendants.
