Former Access Bank employees jailed for ATM card fraud

Two former employees of Access Bank Plc named Agbo John Agama and Edoh Steve have been jailed after they used a primed automated teller machine (ATM) card to withdraw N9.4 million from a customer’s account. Agbo John Agama and Edoh Steve, both former employees of Access Bank, were convicted and sentenced to three years imprisonment on Wednesday. They were convicted and sentenced by Justice Mojisola Olajuwon of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, for conspiracy, aiding and abetting fraud to the tune of  The convicts were prosecuted on one count charge by the Makurdi Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

According to the charge sheet, the former Access Bank employees used a primed ATM Card on an account operated by one Mejuru Chibueze Gospel with Access Bank, resulting in the loss of N9,400,000. The charge against them reads: “That you, Agbo John Agama “M” and you Edoh Oga Steve “M” while being employees of Access Bank Plc Makurdi Branch and others now at large, on or about the 8th day of January, 2021 at Makurdi, Benue State of Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, used an unauthorized access device to wit: a primed ATM Card on Account No. 30041040648 being operated by one Mejuru Chibueze Gospel with Access Bank resulting a loss of Nine Million Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N9,400,000) Only to him, thereby committed an offence, contrary to Section 33(2)(b) of Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 and punishable under the same section of the Act”.

The defendants pleaded guilty to the charge preferred against them. In view of their plea, prosecuting counsel, Mary Onoja asked the court to convict and sentence them accordingly. Justice Olajuwon convicted and sentenced them to three year imprisonment each. They were also ordered to pay a fine of N100,000 each to the Federal Government of Nigeria and restitute the victim in the sum of two million, one hundred thousand Naira each.