Justice Ismail Ijelu of the Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja on Tuesday adjourned the trial of a former customer service representative of Fidelity Bank Plc, Chukwuebuka Nweke, to enable the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the bank to produce documents and video evidence requested by the defence in a case involving alleged unauthorised access to a customer’s account.
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The adjournment followed the opening of the defence by the defendant, who denied involvement in the alleged fraudulent withdrawal of N1m from a customer’s account and insisted he was wrongly implicated.
The EFCC had charged Nweke before the court in Charge No. ID/26820C/2025 for alleged unauthorised access with intent to commit or facilitate further offences, contrary to Section 386(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
According to the amended information, the defendant allegedly accessed a desktop computer assigned to another staff member, Emmanuella Anyanwu, on June 21, 2025, thereby facilitating the unauthorised withdrawal of N1m from the account of one Leelee Dumbari domiciled with the bank.
Ojú Kálé: Àwọn Ọmọ Nàìjíríà Fi Èrò Wọn Hàn Nípa 744 Ẹṣin-Ò-Kọkú Ìgbà Kan Rí Tí Ìjọba Àpapọ̀ Forí Jìn0:00 / 1:01
At the resumed hearing, EFCC counsel, Adewale Bashir, appeared for the prosecution, while Chris Ejioffor represented the defendant.
Opening his defence, Nweke told the court that the workstation allegedly linked to the transaction was not exclusive to one staff member, explaining that multiple employees on night shift often used any available system depending on assigned customer calls.
Nweke, who is being prosecuted by the EFCC was led in evidence by his counsel, Chris Ejioffor, during examination-in-chief.
The defendant told the court that the case began during a night shift at the bank’s contact centre when he received a complaint from a customer over an unauthorised debit of N500,000.
“The customer told me she had gone to a nightclub and was robbed on her way back, after which withdrawals started from her account,” he said.
He told the court that during the interaction, the customer also disclosed that she had earlier lost her phone and had visited the bank to change her registered phone number, raising concerns about possible account compromise.
According to him, he escalated the issue to his supervisor after the call and continued his duties.
He said that while he was still speaking with the nominal complainant, she informed him that another N500,000 had been debited.
Nweke explained that he immediately initiated steps to restrict the account, noting that his role only allowed him to start the process pending approval from a supervisor.
He also told the court that he briefly assisted a colleague, Emmanuella Anyanwu, to sign out from a system when she stepped away, but denied using the system for any fraudulent activity.
“I never used any system to carry out fraudulent transactions,” he said.
The defendant said he was shocked when he was later invited by the bank’s investigation unit and accused of involvement in the N1m withdrawal.
He further linked the allegation to a separate N23m transaction allegedly meant for solar panel payments, insisting he had no connection to either case.
“I know nothing about the N23m transaction. I did not benefit from it,” he told the court.
Nweke also alleged that during internal investigations, he was pressured to facilitate repayment of the disputed sum to prevent the matter from escalating.
“My Lord, I was told that if the money was paid, the issue could be resolved,” he said.
He told the court that his younger brother eventually sold part of their mother’s land to raise the N1m.
“My younger brother sold part of my mother’s land to raise the money,” he said.
He further alleged that after the matter was reported to the EFCC, he was detained for five months, during which his phone was seized and he was compelled to make statements without access to a lawyer or family members.
He told the court that when one suspect who was in detention with him was leaving, he wrote his brother’s phone number on a sheet of paper and begged him to call his brother and inform him of his whereabouts.
The defendant said his family members are in the East and that he is the only one in Lagos State, adding that when his brother came, the EFCC initially denied him access until he caused a scene before he was allowed to visit.
Nweke told the court that after narrating what transpired to his brother, he sold part of their mother’s land and raised the N1m.
According to him, when the money was eventually raised, investigators directed that it be paid via a bank draft in the name of the EFCC rather than the nominal complainant.
“They asked that the money be paid in the name of the EFCC, not the customer,” he said, adding that despite this, he was not released.
Maintaining his innocence, Nweke told the court that he did not benefit from any of the disputed funds and had been falsely implicated.
Following his testimony, defence counsel, Ejioffor, urged the court to order the EFCC and Fidelity Bank to produce key materials, including conversation desktop records used at the bank and CCTV footage.
He argued that the requested materials were crucial to establishing the true circumstances of the case.
“The CCTV footage and system records will show clearly what transpired,” he submitted.
Justice Ijelu subsequently granted the request and directed that the EFCC and the bank produce the documents and video evidence.
The matter was adjourned till May 14, 2026, for continuation of trial.
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