Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday sentenced a former staff of Fidelity Bank, Christopher Jackson Edeh, to a total of 39 years’ imprisonment for his involvement in a N2.7 billion fraud.
Prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Edeh, who was arraigned on February 28, 2024, faced nine counts bordering on fraudulent accounting and unauthorised access to a computer system.
The charges alleged that he altered the bank account details of several customers and government-related entities, including the Kano State Government Power Intervention Fund, NNPC Trading Limited, Stallion Vision Ltd, the Lagos State Government Blue Line, the State Contributory Pension Account and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, with intent to defraud.
One of the charge had read: “That you Christopher Jackson Edeh, sometimes in September 2023 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, whilst in the employment of Fidelity Bank Plc, with intent to defraud, altered the customer account details of Dangote Cement Plc in possession of Fidelity Bank.”
Another charge read: “Christopher Jackson Edeh, sometimes in September 2023 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to facilitate the stealing of the total sum of N2,737,784,800.00 (Two Billion, Seven Hundred and Thirty-seven Million, Seven Hundred and Eighty-four Thousand, Eight Hundred Naira) kept in custody of Fidelity Bank Plc, secured the unauthorised access to Entrust portal of Fidelity Bank Plc.”
Edeh had pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to him, setting the stage for commencement of trial. Justice Abike-Fadipe had slated the commencement of Edeh’s trial for May 30, 2024.
During the trial, prosecuting counsel, Z.B. Atiku called three witnesses and tendered several documents in evidence to establish the case against the defendant. The defence, on its part, called one witness.
In her judgment, Justice Abike-Fadipe held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and consequently convicted Edeh on the nine counts.
The court sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment without an option of fine on each of counts one to seven, bordering on fraudulent false accounting, and two years’ imprisonment without an option of fine on each of counts eight and nine, relating to unauthorised access to a computer system with intent to facilitate the commission of crimes.
The court ordered that all the sentences run concurrently, meaning Edeh will spend five years in jail.
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