EFCC, ex-banker reach plea bargain agreement

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accepted a plea bargain proposal by a former banker, Kazeem Adeniyi, who was accused of defrauding a customer.

He was charged at the Federal High Court in Lagos with withdrawing N8.7million from the customer’s account.

EFCC alleged that Adeniyi, on May 8, last year, while working at Union Bank, failed to obtain proper data of a customer, Alexander Cherembem, before processing Unionmobile application for him.

The commission said the former banker subsequently conspired with others to impersonate the customer and withdraw the money from his account.

Adeniyi pleaded not guilty.

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Prosecuting Counsel Ms C. Okezie told Justice Chuka Obiozor that parties had reached a plea bargain agreement.

She said about N2.9million was recovered from the defendant, out of which N1million was transmitted to the bank.

The bank’s fraud recovery sub-unit team lead, Mr Idakwo Haruna, added that the bank accepted the agreement terms.

He said Union Bank undertook to repay the complainant and was in the process of approving the payment.

Justice Austine Obiozor adjourned until July 23 to enable the bank to refund the customer, following which the plea bargain agreement will be adopted in court.