N21m fraud; Court jails ex-banker, wife, mother-in-law for 60 years

 An Ekiti State High Court yesterday jailed a former bank cashier, Ebenezer Adeolu Alonge, his wife and mother-in-law for 60 years imprisonment for diverting N21million deposited by customers.

Convicted with him were Isakunle Olamide Oyinlola (wife) and Isakunle Eunice Moradeke (mother-in- law).

The three convicts were handed over the sentence by Justice Adekanye Ogunmoye following a 12-count charge of conspiracy and stealing brought against them by the Ibadan Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC).TheHead of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement that the offences were “contrary to Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code Laws Cap 16 Laws of Ekiti State,2012.”

He said: “The journey to the dock started when the illicit activities of Ebenezer got exposed through a petition to the EFCC from one of the new generation banks alleging that one of her staff, Ebenezer Adeolu Alonge was involved in fraudulent activities.

“It was alleged that sometime in February 2018, the bank received a complaint concerning the financial impropriety of the sum of N62, 400.00 in respect of a customer’s account.“According to the petitioner, on February 15, 2017 a customer lodged the said sum into her account but the transaction could not be traced in the customer’s account even after the customer presented a copy of the slip signed by Alonge.

“In the course of investigation, the said transaction was allegedly traced to Ebenezer Alonge’s wife’s account.

“Further investigation however, revealed that there was a turnover of over N21million as deposit from other customers in his wife’s account.“Also, it was alleged that other sums were traced to his mother-in-law’s account, who was also a beneficiary of the fraudulent act.”

The EFCC said in the course of trial, it called two witnesses and tendered several exhibits to prove its case.

The statement added: “The convicts were found guilty on all the 12 charges and sentenced to five years on each count. The cumulative 60 years prison terms will, however, run concurrently.

“Justice Ogunmoye, in his judgment, ruled that the prosecution team led by Abdulrasheed Lanre Suleiman proved their case beyond reasonable doubt and that the convicts had failed to extricate themselves from the self-evidenced proofs before the court.

“The court also ordered Alonge to forfeit his house, which shall be sold and the proceeds used to restitute the bank.”