Court Jails Ex-Banker Six Years, To Return N11m To Former Employer

Justice Mohammed Owolabi of the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan on Friday convicted and sentenced a former employee of the Ayete Microfinance Bank Limited, Sunday Fadayomi to six years in prison without an option of fine for stealing N11,000,000.

Justice Owolabi handed down the verdict after he found Fadayomi guilty of the 30-counts charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The convict is an information system expert in charge of the bank’s information technology section, the position he held for about 10 years before his criminal exploits were blown open.

The bank, in a petition dated April 17, 2018 had accused him of sundry criminal activities including posting money to customers’ accounts without tellers, posting cash deposit at the weekend when the bank was not opened for operation.

The bank also claimed the convict accessed loans without intention to pay and using proxy accounts to commit fraud, among other allegations.

After firming up its series of investigations into the allegations, the EFCC arraigned him on a 30-count charge on May 17, 2018.

Fadayomi, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges which border on stealing, contrary to Section 390 (6)(9) Criminal Code of Cap 38, Vol. 2 Laws of Oyo State, 2000.

His plea led to a full trial which came to a halt on Friday.

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The EFCC was represented in the case by Ifeanyi Agwu and Oyelakin Oyediran.

After considering arguments by the prosecution and defence lawyers, Justice Owolabi held that the EFCC lawyers convinced the court that the accused indeed committed the offence with which he was charged with.

The judge found him guilty on all the 30 counts and sentenced him to six years imprisonment without an option of fine.

He also ordered that the convict restitutes a sum of N11,000,000 to the bank.

28th March 2024
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