Fidelity Bank staff, accomplice jailed 6 years for stealing bank’s N2 million

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A staff of Fidelity Bank in Abeokuta, Bankole Idris, and a 30-year-old, Ganiyu Sulaimon, were on Tuesday sentenced to six year imprisonment each for stealing N2 million belonging to the bank. The convicts, whose addresses were not provided, were arraigned for a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

An Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court which handed down the judgment, said it found the men culpable going by the evidence adduced and diligent prosecution. The Magistrate, Idowu Olayinka, said investigations showed that the duo committed the offences and, therefore,

contravened Sections 383 and 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun 2006. Mr. Olayinka, who sentenced them to three years imprisonment each on each count, said the sentences should run concurrently. In addition, he said the convicts would pay a fine of N20,000 to the bank after they must have refunded the N2 million or part of it.

Earlier the prosecutor, Augustine Ozimini, told the court that duo and others at large committed the offences on April 14, 2015 at about noon at a Fidelity Bank located at Omida in the state capital.

According to him, the duo conspired to steal the N2 million from the banking hall. “Idris, a staff of Fidelity Bank, got to know Sulaimon at the Mosque where he goes to pray and Sulaimon introduced him to one Alfa Isiaku Ramon.

“On April 14, 2015, Sulaimon said he went into the banking hall and told Idris not to give Alfa Ramon any money, but Ramon went to bank and collected the sum of N2 million from Idris, the banker.

“Unfortunately for Idris at the close of work, the bank noticed in its account a shortfall and during investigation, the bank was able to link the missing money to Idris.

“The bank through its CCTV camera discovered that Idris gave Ramon money packed in a nylon without any bank transaction.

“After Ramon collected the money which he said he had early asked Idris to loan him to do business, he disappeared.”

He noted that the offences violated Sections 383(1) and 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun 2006.