Fmr Access Bank Staff, CHINONSO AKUJOBI, Charged for Alleged Theft of N294.5m

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned a former staff of Access Bank, CHINONSO AKUJOBI, for allegedly stealing over Two Hundred and Ninety-Four-Point-Five Million Naira belonging to the bank in 2026.

In the case before Justice I.O. IJELU of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, AKUJOBI is facing five counts of stealing, but she pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The EFCC alleged that CHINONSO AKUJOBI converted for her personal use funds transferred without unauthorization from the general ledger of the bank to her personal Access Bank accounts.

One of the charges reads: "That you, Chinonso Akujobi, sometime between January and December, 2025, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with a dishonest intent, and while under the employment of Access Bank Plc, stole and converted for your own use, by unauthorized payments from the general ledger of the bank to your Access Bank account number 0036668871 with the name Chinonso A., Uchechi A. and Florence A, the sum of N109,325,566.86(One Hundred and Nine Million Three Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Five Hundred and Sixty-six Naira Eighty-six Kobo),thereby committed an offence stealing, contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”

‎The defendant pleaded “not guilty" to the charges when they were read to her. And in view of her plea, the prosecution counsel, S.M.Yabo, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed for the remand of the defendant in a Correctional centre.

Justice Ijelu, thereafter, adjourned the case till October 8, 2026, for hearing of the bail application and the commencement of trial. The Judge also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Ikoyi correctional Centre.