Court jails two ex-bankers for diverting pensioners’ ₦10.3m

A High Court sitting in Enugu has convicted and sentenced two former bankers, Sani Endurance Aferokhe and Hillary Odo, for the criminal diversion of ₦10.3 million belonging to bank customers, including pensioners.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclosed that the duo were prosecuted before Justice A.O. Onovo of the Enugu State High Court, Independence Layout, on a 15-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and stealing.

The former Access Bank staff were accused of reactivating three dormant customer accounts without consent and diverting the funds for personal use.

They were first arraigned on January 18, 2016, and pleaded not guilty, leading to a full trial.

EFCC counsel, Michael Ikechukwu Ani, called five witnesses and tendered several documents as evidence.

Delivering judgment on Friday, December 22, 2025, the court dismissed two counts but found the defendants guilty on multiple others.

Odo was convicted on counts four and seven and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment on each count, with an option of ₦100,000 fine per count.

Aferokhe was convicted on counts one, two, three, five, eight, ten to fourteen, and fifteen.

He received five years’ imprisonment on most counts and three years on count fifteen, with an option of ₦100,000 fine on each count.

According to the EFCC, the offences contravene Section 459(a) of the Criminal Code Law of Enugu State, 2004.

The judgment followed findings that the duo conspired to illegally access customers’ pension accounts and divert the funds.