Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday sentenced Samuel Asiegbu to three years in prison without the option of a fine for his involvement in an ₦8.56 billion fraud linked to Wema Bank Plc.
Asiegbu was charged alongside Hamza Zakaria, Nurudeen Ibrahim, and Alhaji Sulaiman (who is currently at large) on four counts of conspiracy, theft, and unauthorised access to a computer system, filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The defendants were initially arraigned on June 23, 2025, and all pleaded not guilty at the time.
However, Asiegbu later changed his plea to guilty, prompting the court to convict and sentence him accordingly, while the trial of the remaining defendants continues.
The EFCC told the court that Asiegbu, Hamza Zakaria, Nurudeen Ibrahim, Alhaji Sulaiman (at large), and others at large, sometime in January 2025, conspired amongst themselves without authorisation and accessed the computer systems of Wema Bank Nigeria Plc to steal money.
The prosecution counsel also told the court that the convicts, Hamza Zakaria, Nurudeen Ibrahim, Alhaji Sulaiman (at large), and others at large, sometime in January 2025, had unauthorised access to the Wema Bank computer and server with the intent to facilitate the stealing of an aggregate sum of N8,568,090,500 from accounts domiciled at Wema Bank Nigeria Plc.
According to the prosecution counsel, the offences committed contravened Sections 409 and 386 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
In his judgment, Justice Oshodi sentenced Asiegbu to 10 months and eight days’ imprisonment on count three and 1 year and 8 months on count four, both without an option of fine.
The judge held that the sentences are to run concurrently, bringing his total jail term to three years.
The court also struck out counts one and two.
Consequently, Justice Oshodi adjourned the case to November 14, 2025, for further trial of the remaining defendants.