Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday, sentenced one Samuel Asiegbu to three years in prison without an option of fine for his involvement in an ₦8.56 billion fraud scheme targeting Wema Bank Nigeria Plc.

Asiegbu was charged alongside Hamza Zakaria, Nurudeen Ibrahim, and one Alhaji Sulaiman, who remains at large. They faced four counts of conspiracy, stealing, and unauthorized access to a computer system brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The defendants were first arraigned on June 23, 2025, and initially pleaded not guilty. However, Asiegbu later changed his plea to guilty, which led to his conviction and sentencing, while the trial of the other defendants continues.

According to the EFCC, Asiegbu and his accomplices, sometime in January 2025, unlawfully gained access to the computer systems of Wema Bank Nigeria Plc and conspired to steal a total of ₦8,568,090,500 from accounts domiciled in the bank.

The offences, the prosecution said, violated Sections 409 and 386 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

In delivering judgment, Justice Oshodi sentenced Asiegbu to 10 months and eight days’ imprisonment on count three and 1 year and 8 months on count four—both without an option of fine. The sentences are to run concurrently, amounting to a total of three years’ imprisonment.

The judge also struck out counts one and two and adjourned the case until November 14, 2025, for the continuation of trial for the remaining defendants.