Sterling Bank Ex-Staff, Wife Arrested for Allegedly Stealing N2.7m

A former employee of Sterling Bank Plc, Akinwola Oluwaseun Dosumu and his wife, Motunrayo Olanike have been arraigned before an Ibadan High Court, Oyo State, for alleged stealing of N2,740,300.92 million from the bank.

The former banker and his wife were arraigned before Justice Ladiran Akintola led-court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday.

The EFCC said the couple committed act, while the husband, Akinola, was an employee of the bank, while his wife was a customer and a beneficiary in the bank’s Third Party Acquirer Scheme.

The bank had initiated the scheme as a marketing strategy through which relatives and friends of their marketing agents were awarded commission for bringing new customers to open and operate new accounts with the bank. Akinwole, also a marketer with the bank, was appointed to coordinate the scheme.

Apart from the commission on account opening, the referral also enjoys certain percentage on the saving made through the accounts every month.

It was, however, alleged that while reviewing activities under the scheme in 2016, the bank discovered that most of the accounts appropriated to Motunrayo as a third-party acquirer were fraudulently tagged to her by her husband.

The investigation allegedly revealed that the accounts were never sourced by either of the couple, but by other third-party agents.

According to the petition filed by the bank, the couple had benefited a total of N2, 740,300.9292 as Commission fraudulently paid to Motunrayo through the scheme.

It was on account of the allegation and further investigations by the EFCC that the couple was arraigned on a 16-count charge of stealing.

The offence is contrary to Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Laws CAP 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.

Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Akinwole Oluwaseun Dosunmu and Motunrayo Olanike Dosunmu between the months of July 2015 and April 2016 at Ibadan within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did commit an illegal act, to wit, stealing of the aggregate sum of N1,280,554.38 (One Million, Two Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty Four Naira, Thirty-Eight Kobo), property of Sterling Bank Plc under the guise that the account of one Odediran Oluwafemi and Annee was generated by Motunrayo Olanike Dosunmu and thereby committed an offence”. 

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In view of their plea, counsel to the EFCC, Ifeanyi Agwu, applied for a date for trial and for the defendants to be remanded in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Service.

However, the defence counsel, J. B. Olaoye, informed the court that he has filed applications for bail on behalf of the accused persons.

Justice Akintola while adjourning the matter till Friday, February 21, 2020, for hearing of the bail applicationsl, ordered that the couple be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) Agodi, Ibadan.