EFCC drags ex-Access Bank worker to court over alleged ₦294.5 million theft

Gloria Adesanya 11:14 - 10 July 2026

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Former Access Bank staff Chinonso Akujobi, who pleaded not guilty to a five-count charge of stealing and fraudulent practices brought against her by the EFCC.

The EFCC has arraigned former Access Bank employee Chinonso Akujobi over the alleged theft of ₦294.5 million. She pleaded not guilty and was remanded pending trial.

EFCC arraigns former Access Bank employee over alleged theft of ₦294.5 million.

Defendant pleads not guilty to a five-count charge before the Lagos High Court.

Court remands suspect at Ikoyi Correctional Centre ahead of October trial.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a former employee of Access Bank Plc, Chinonso Akujobi, before the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja over the alleged theft of ₦294.5 million from the financial institution.

Akujobi was arraigned before Justice I.O. Ijelu on a five-count charge bordering on stealing and fraudulent practices allegedly committed while she was employed by the bank.

According to the anti-graft agency, the alleged offences were committed over a 12-month period between January and December 2025.

The EFCC alleged that Akujobi fraudulently siphoned funds belonging to Access Bank during the course of her employment, with the total amount involved put at ₦294.5 million.

One of the charges read before the court alleged that the defendant, while in the employment of Access Bank and acting with dishonest intent, unlawfully stole the bank's funds within the jurisdiction of the Lagos State High Court.

The prosecution further alleged that the offences contravened relevant provisions of Lagos State criminal laws and are punishable under the state's legal framework.

When the five-count charge was read to her in open court, Akujobi pleaded not guilty to all the allegations.

Following her plea, EFCC prosecuting counsel S.M. Yabo urged the court to fix a date for the commencement of the trial.

The prosecution also requested that the defendant be remanded in a correctional facility pending the determination of her bail application and the commencement of proceedings.

Justice Ijelu granted the prosecution's request and ordered that Akujobi be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.

Exterior sign and entrance of the Nigerian Correctional Service Medium Security Custodial Centre in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The Ikoyi Correctional Centre in Lagos, where the Lagos State High Court ordered Chinonso Akujobi to be remanded until her trial begins.

The judge subsequently adjourned the case until October 8, 2026, when the court is expected to hear the defendant's bail application and begin trial.

The arraignment marks the latest in a series of prosecutions by the EFCC involving alleged financial crimes in Nigeria's banking sector.

The commission has consistently maintained that it is intensifying efforts to investigate and prosecute cases involving fraud, theft, and other financial offences as part of its broader anti-corruption mandate.

However, the filing of criminal charges does not amount to a conviction. Under Nigerian law, every defendant is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Akujobi will therefore remain innocent in the eyes of the law unless the prosecution succeeds in proving the allegations against her beyond a reasonable doubt during the trial.