The Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction and sentencing of two former bankers, Sani Endurance Aferokhe and Hillary Odo, for the criminal diversion of N10.3 million belonging to customers of their bank.
The duo were convicted by Justice A. O. Onovo of the Enugu State High Court sitting at Independence Layout, Enugu.
Aferokhe and Odo were arraigned on January 18, 2016, on a 15-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, and stealing.
The charges stemmed from the unlawful diversion of customers’ funds while they were staff of Intercontinental Bank Plc, now Access Bank Plc.
One of the charges stated that on November 21, 2012, at Nsukka, the defendants, while serving as employees of the bank, stole N4.44 million from a customer account belonging to Udekwu F. A. O.
Another charge revealed that on October 12, 2012, they unlawfully withdrew N2.11 million from the account of one Onuora George.
The offences were committed within the jurisdiction of the court and were contrary to Section 459(a) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 30, Laws of Enugu State, 2004.
The defendants pleaded not guilty, leading to a full trial. During the proceedings, the EFCC, through its counsel, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE II Michael Ikechukwu Ani, called five witnesses and tendered several documentary exhibits to substantiate the case.
In his judgment delivered on Friday, December 22, 2025, Justice Onovo dismissed counts six and nine.
The court convicted the second defendant, Hillary Odo, on counts four and seven, sentencing him to five years’ imprisonment on each count, with an option of a N100,000 fine per count.
Aferokhe, the first defendant, was convicted on counts one, two, three, five, eight, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen.
He was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on each count, except count fifteen, which attracted a three-year jail term, with an option of a N100,000 fine on each count.
The court found that the convicts, former staff of Access Bank, conspired to reactivate three dormant accounts belonging to pensioners without their consent and diverted the funds for personal use.
(EFCC)
