Court jails ex-banker for 39 years over N2.7bn fraud

The Special Offences Court sitting in the Ikeja area of Lagos State has sentenced a former banker, Christopher Jackson Edeh, to 39 years’ imprisonment over his involvement in a N2.7 billion fraud prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Edeh was sentenced to prison on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.

The former banker, 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 Limited, the Lagos State Government Blue Line, the State Contributory Pension Account, and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, with intent to defraud.

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.

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Delivering judgement on Tuesday, Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and consequently convicted Edeh on the nine counts.

Justice Abike-Fadipe sentenced the former banker 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 judge ordered that all the sentences must run concurrently.