Bank Cashier, Wife, Mum In-Law Divert N2.4m Deposit

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has re-arraigned a bank cashier, Ebenezer Alonge, alongside his wife, Isakunle Oyinlola and his mother-in-law, Isakunle Moradeke, for allegedly diverting N2.4m deposited by a customer.

The accused persons who were arraigned before Justice Lekan Ogunmoye of the High Court of Ekiti State, Ado-Ekiti division, on Wednesday, were facing a 12 counts of conspiracy and stealing, contrary to Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Laws Cap 16 Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

The defendants, however, pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charges preferred against them, the EFCC said in a statement in Abuja by its acting spokesman, Tony Orilade.

In view of their plea, counsel to the EFCC, Adeola Elumaro, applied for a date for trial, but the defense counsel, Fasina Olayemi, prayed the court to admit the defendants to bail.

Justice Ogunmoye, however, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N2m and two sureties in like sum, one of whom must be a government official not below grade level 12, while the other surety must be resident within court’s jurisdiction.

The case was subsequently adjourned to February 5, 2019 for trial.

It was alleged that sometime in February, Sterling Bank received a complaint bordering on financial impropriety involving N62,400 belonging to a customer.

“The incident was investigated and the sum of N2,400,800 belonging to a customer was found to have been diverted by Alonge to his wife’s account.

“Further investigation revealed that there was a turnover of over N21m deposit from other customers in Alonge’s wife’s account.

“Other sums were reportedly traced to his mother-in-law’s account,” said EFCC.