The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Sokoto Zonal Office, has arraigned three bankers before the Sokoto State High Court on four counts bordering on forgery and conspiracy to steal the sum of N1,205,000.
Zaharaddeen Ibrahim, Micheal Alabi and Ngozi Agbonjari, workers of a first generation bank, were alleged to have conspired among themselves to issue Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards to an impostor which was used to withdraw the money for their personal use.
The money was said to have been stolen from the accounts meant for the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme initiative of the Federal Government for primary school pupils in the 23 local government areas of the state.
The charges read in part, “That you, Zaharaddeen Ibrahim, while being the direct sales agent of Union Bank Plc; Michael Alabi, while being the sales service executive of the Union Bank Plc; Ngozi Agbonjaru, while being the bank teller of Union Bank Plc; Aisha Sambo and Sa’adatu Musa (now at large) sometimes in 2019 in Sokoto, within the Judicial Division of the High Court of Justice of Sokoto State, did conspire among yourselves to do an illegal act to wit; theft from the Union Bank Plc accounts of Fadima Ahmadu and Sadiya Bello, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 59 of the Sokoto State Panel Code 2019 and punishable under Section 60(2) of the same law.”
They accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.
S.H. Sa’ad, the Counsel for the EFCC, asked Justice Muhammed Muhammed, the Presiding Judge, for a date for trial to commence.
On his part, G.O. Uwadia, the Defence Counsel, prayed the court to grant his clients bail on the grounds that the defendants were faithful to the administrative bail granted them by the EFCC, and that they also had credible sureties.
Justice Muhammed, thereafter, admit the defendants to bail in the sum of N500,000 each, with one surety each in like sum.
The case was adjourned till April 23, 2020 for commencement of trials.
