Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja on Wednesday sentenced Samuel Asiegbu, a former financial and retail product manager at Wema Bank Nigeria Plc, to three years in prison without the option of a fine for his role in hacking and stealing N8.56 billion from the bank.
Asiegbu had initially pleaded not guilty to an eight-count charge of conspiracy, fraud, and unauthorized access to a computer system but later changed his plea to guilty, prompting his conviction and sentencing.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had accused Asiegbu, alongside co-defendants Hamza Zakaria, Nurudeen Ibrahim, and Alhaji Sulaiman, of manipulating the bank’s internal systems in January 2025, causing a financial loss exceeding N8.5 billion.
The EFCC noted that the alleged offences violated Sections 409 and 386 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
Justice Oshodi sentenced Asiegbu to 10 months and 8 days for count three, and one year and 8 months for count four, with both sentences to run concurrently. Counts one and two were struck out by the court. The sentence was handed down without the option of a fine.
The judge also adjourned the trial of the remaining defendants to November 14, 2025.
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