Banker arraigned over alleged theft of customers’ N11 million

A 34-year-old bank employee, Ramon Rilwon-Olayiwola, on Thursday appeared before a Tinubu Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, for allegedly stealing N11 million from bank customers’ accounts.

The defendant, a resident of No. 8, Sultan Bello St., Owutu Ikorodu, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The prosecutor, Edet Okoi, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on July 22, at about 7.20 p.m. at Access Bank Head Office, Lagos.

He alleged that the defendant, an employee of the bank, while working at the bank’s Contact Centre Executive unit, used his position to fraudulently access customers’ details and withdrew money from their accounts.

Mr Okoi, an assistant superintendent of police, told the court that the defendant had allegedly withdrawn N11 million from numerous customers’ accounts.

“The defendant conspired with some other employees to change some customers’ details on the system and made unauthorised withdrawals from their accounts without the customers’ consent.

“During internal investigation which the bank carried out, the CCTV footage showed that it was only the defendant that used the system for accessing customers’ details on the said date,” he said.

He told the court that the offences contravened Sections 287 (7) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while Section 287 (7) prescribes seven years imprisonment for stealing from one’s employer, Section 411 carries two years imprisonment for conspiracy.

The Chief Magistrate, Tajudeen Elias, granted the defendant N5 million bail with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case until September 29 for hearing.