Three Bankers jailed for fraudulent activities

… Fraudster Bags Three Years Jail Term for Impersonating Lamorde

… Businessman Bags 2 Years in Prison for N6m Scam

Three former bankers with a new generation bank, were on Tuesday, arraigned before Justice Akindavid Oladimeji of the Osun State High Court, Ile-Ife on separate charges, all bordering on failure to exercise due diligence, forgery and conspiracy to commit fraud involving a sum of N16,891,100 (Sixteen Million, Eight Hundred and Ninety-One Thousand, One Hundred Naira).

The accused persons: Foluso Opayinka, Ebenezer Adeyemi and Esan Okunola were former employees of Skye Bank, Ila-Orangun branch, Osun State. While Opayinka was arraigned on three count charges, Ebenezer Adeyemi and Esan Okunola were arraigned on one count each.

When the charges were read to them, they all pleaded not guilty.

In view of their plea, prosecuting counsel, Zainab Ettu informed the court that she was ready for trial and sued for the remand of all the accused persons in prison custody.

However, counsel to the third accused person, Abiodun Olaide, prayed the court to admit his client to bail. Counsel to the first accused person, Dotun Olaniyan, and counsel to the second accused person, Debola Adeyemi, aligned their submissions with Olaide’s prayers and urged the court to be liberal on its bail conditions.

Justice Oladimeji, after listening to their submissions, adjourned the matter till May 30, 2014 for ruling on bail applications and ordered that the accused persons be remanded in Ile-Ife prison.

The accused persons got into trouble when they fraudulently transferred money to the tune of N16,891,100.00( Sixteen Million, Eight Hundred and Ninety One Thousand, One Hundred Naira ) from the account of a customer, Global Link Consolidated Services Limited, into twenty ( 20) different accounts without the authority and consent of the account holder.

Investigations showed that, Opayinka, a marketing support staff in the bank, initiated the scam. He was aided by Adeyemi, a customer care officer and Okunola, the manager of the branch where the transactions took place. The beneficiaries of the money transfers did not sign any paper because Adeyemi allegedly used fake transaction reference numbers and the manager assented to it.

In another matter, Justice Farouq Lawal of the Kano State High Court has convicted and sentenced one Daniel Okpara to three years imprisonment for impersonating the chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr Ibrahim Lamorde.

The convict allegedly opened a Facebook account, presenting himself as the Executive Chairman of EFCC and began to solicit and collect money from job seekers under the pretext of offering them employment at the commission.

Daniel was arraigned on May 27, 2014 and he pleaded guilty to the 3-count charge of impersonation and obtaining by false pretence preferred against him by the EFCC.

Defence counsel, Bello Dahiru pleaded with the court to tamper justice with mercy, stressing that the convict is a first time offender and has been remorseful since his arrest. He also prayed the court to take into account the fact that the convict did not waste the time of the court and that he is a promising young man with a pregnant wife.

Justice Lawal, consequently sentenced the convict to one year imprisonment on counts two and three with no option of a fine, while the convict is to serve one year imprisonment and pay a fine of N50, 000 (Fifty Thousand Naira only) on count one.

All sentences are to run concurrently.

Similarly, a Federal High Court sitting in Jos and presided by Justice Andrel Alagwa has sentenced a Jos businessman, Ibrahim Nayaya to two years imprisonment in a case brought before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Nayaya was arraigned on June 15, 2013 on one count charge that borders on obtaining by trickery, contrary to and punishable under Section 421 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (LFN) 2004.

The convict, a transporter and dealer in black oil allegedly obtained N6million from one Umar Ibrahim, an Ashaka (Gombe State) businessman, for the purpose of supplying some truck load of Black oil. The product was neither supplied nor the money returned to Umar.

Justice Alagwa found Nayaya guilty as charged and thereby sentenced him to 2 years imprisonment with an option of fine in the sum of N500, 000.

- See more at: http://thewillnigeria.com/news/efcc-arraigns-3-ex-skye-bank-employees-over-n16-9m-scam/#sthash.u2gknaCB.dpuf