Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Thursday convicted Hannah Okunlola Adesokan for her role in an alleged ₦8.5 billion fraud involving Wema Bank Plc.
Adesokan was initially arraigned on May 23, 2025, alongside six others including Wema Bank employees Samuel Ihechukwu, Fabian Chizaram, and Kingsley Kelechi Ejim. They faced an eight-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence totaling ₦8.5 billion. Other defendants in the case are Hamza Zakariya, Achionu Chukwuka Ubaku, and Sunday Osademe.
The charges included conspiracy, stealing, unauthorized access to a computer system, and impersonation. According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the accused conspired in January 2025 to illegally access Wema Bank’s computer system to steal the funds.
Adesokan initially pleaded not guilty but changed her plea to guilty after being re-arraigned on an amended charge on Thursday.
One key charge against her stated that she retained ₦4.5 million of the fraudulently obtained ₦199 million in her United Bank for Africa (UBA) account, linked to illegal cyber activities.
During the trial, prosecution counsel Fanen Anum presented Adesokan’s statements, the bank’s petition, and her UBA account statement as evidence. He urged the court to convict her and order the forfeiture of the recovered funds to the Federal Government.
Justice Osiagor convicted Adesokan, sentencing her to six months imprisonment with an option to pay a ₦250,000 fine. The court also ordered the forfeiture of ₦4.5 million to the Federal Government in favor of the affected bank.
Adesokan was found guilty of receiving ₦4.5 million through cyber-related criminal activity and was duly sentenced.
