LAGOS — An employee of Ecobank Nigeria, Chidi Okafor, has been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate Court over his alleged involvement in a ₦2.4 million cyber fraud scheme.
The defendant, a customer service officer at the bank’s Ikeja branch, was charged with conspiracy, cybercrime, and unlawful diversion of funds belonging to a customer. He was arraigned by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, following weeks of investigation.
According to the police prosecutor, Inspector Dorcas Adekunle, the accused fraudulently accessed the bank’s internal system and transferred ₦2.4 million from a dormant customer account into a personal wallet controlled by accomplices.
The incident reportedly occurred between March and April 2025 and was uncovered during an internal audit by the bank’s cybersecurity unit.
Okafor pleaded not guilty to the charges. His counsel requested bail, which was granted by the presiding magistrate in the sum of ₦1 million with two sureties in like sum. The magistrate also ordered that the sureties must show evidence of tax payments and reside within Lagos jurisdiction.
The court adjourned the matter to June 10, 2025, for commencement of trial.
Ecobank has yet to release an official statement on the incident but sources within the bank say disciplinary procedures have been initiated in line with internal compliance policies.
