The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned a former Access Bank Plc staff member, Chinonso Akujobi, before the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja over the alleged theft of ₦294,595,992 belonging to the bank.

Akujobi was arraigned on Thursday by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC before Justice I. O. Ijelu on a five-count charge bordering on stealing and alleged unauthorised diversion of bank funds.

According to the EFCC, the defendant allegedly stole the money through unauthorised transfers while working with Access Bank in 2025.

One of the counts alleged that between January and December 2025, Akujobi, while in the employment of Access Bank Plc, dishonestly converted funds belonging to the bank to personal use through unauthorised payments from the bank’s general ledger.

The prosecution alleged that part of the money, amounting to ₦109,325,566.86, was transferred into Access Bank account number 0036668871 and other accounts bearing the names “Chinonso A.,” “Uchechi A.” and “Florence A.”

The count 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 ₦109,325,566.86, thereby committed an offence of stealing, contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”

When the charges were read to him, Akujobi pleaded not guilty to all five counts.

Following his plea, prosecution counsel, S. M. Yabo, urged the court to fix a date for trial and to remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending the determination of the case.

Justice Ijelu subsequently adjourned the matter until October 8, 2026, for the hearing of the defendant’s bail application and commencement of trial.

The court also ordered that Akujobi be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre pending further proceedings.

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