Court Jails Ex-Bankers for Criminal Diversion of Pensioners’ N10.3m in Enugu

The Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has secured the conviction and sentence of the duo of Sani Endurance Aferokhe and Hillary Odo, two former bankers before Justice A. O. Onovo of the Enugu State High Court sitting in Independence Layout Enugu, for criminal diversion of N10, 300, 000. 00 (Ten Million, Three Hundred Thousand Naira), belonging to customers of the bank.

The convicts were arraigned on January 18, 2016 on a 15-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and stealing to the said sum.

Count seven of the charge reads: Sani Endurance Aferokhe and Hillary Odo on or about the 21st day of November, 2012 at Nsukka within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court, while as servants of Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access Bank Plc), stole the sum of Four Million, Four Hundred and Forty-four Thousand Naira (N4, 440, 000. 00) property of Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access Bank Plc) from a customer account with account name Udekwu F. A. O with number 00237808311 domiciled in Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access Bank Plc) and thereby committed an offence”.

Count two of the charge reads: “Sani Endurance Aferokhe and Hillary Odo on or about the 12th day of October 2012 at Nsukka within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while as servants of Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access Bank Plc), stole the sum of Two Million, One Hundred and Thirteen Thousand, Six Hundred and Ten Naira, forty Kobo (N2, 113, 610. 40) property of Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access Bank Plc) from a customer account with account name Onuora George with account number 0023781315 domiciled in Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access Bank Plc) and thereby committed an offence.

ADVERTISEMENT

The offences are contrary to Section 459 (a) of the Criminal Code Law Cap 30 of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004.

They pleaded not guilty to the charges, thereby setting the stage for their trial.

During the cause of trial, the EFCC, through its counsel, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE II Michael Ikechukwu Ani presented five witnesses and tendered several documents.

Delivering judgment on Friday, December 22, 2025, the court dismissed counts six and nine, convicted the second defendant on counts four and seven and convicted the first defendant on counts one, two, three, five, eight, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen and fifteen. While the second defendant was sentenced to five years imprisonment on counts four and seven with an option of fine of N100, 000, 00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) on each count, the first defendant was sentenced to five years imprisonment on each of the said counts, except count fifteen which he was sentenced to three years imprisonment, with an option of N100, 000, 00 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) fine, on each count.

The convicts, former staff of Access Bank, bagged their imprisonment when they conspired amongst themselves to reactivate three accounts belonging to customers of the bank who happened to be pensioners without their consent and diverted the said sum for their personal benefits.