By Nkechi Eze
The Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction and sentencing of two former bankers, Sani Endurance Aferokhe and Hillary Odo, for the criminal diversion of N10,300,000.00 belonging to pensioners. The judgment was delivered by Justice A. O. Onovo of the Enugu State High Court, sitting at Independence Layout, Enugu.
According to an official statement by the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, the duo were arraigned on January 18, 2016 on a 15-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, and stealing. The charges alleged that while serving at Intercontinental Bank Plc (now Access Bank Plc), they conspired to reactivate customer accounts without consent and diverted funds for their personal gain.
Count Seven of the charge detailed that on November 21, 2012, Aferokhe and Odo stole ₦4,440,000.00 from a customer account belonging to Udekwu F.A.O. domiciled at Intercontinental Bank Plc. Similarly, Count Two stated that on October 12, 2012, the defendants diverted ₦2,113,610.40 from the account of Onuora George, also without authorization. The offences contravened Section 459(a) of the Criminal Code Law Cap 30 of Enugu State, 2004.
Both accused initially pleaded not guilty, leading to a protracted trial in which the EFCC, through its counsel, Assistant Commander of the EFCC (ACE II) Michael Ikechukwu Ani, presented five witnesses and tendered multiple documents as evidence.
Delivering judgment on Friday, December 22, 2025, the court dismissed counts six and nine but convicted the second defendant, Hillary Odo, on counts four and seven, and the first defendant, Sani Endurance Aferokhe, on counts one, two, three, five, eight, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen.
Odo was sentenced to five years imprisonment on counts four and seven, with an option of a ₦100,000 fine per count, while Aferokhe received five years imprisonment on most counts, except count fifteen, for which he was sentenced to three years, also with the option of a ₦100,000 fine per count.
The EFCC noted that the convicts abused their positions as bank staff to unlawfully divert funds from pensioners’ accounts, an act that undermined public trust in the banking system. The Commission emphasized that the conviction serves as a stern warning against financial misconduct and reinforces its commitment to protecting the financial interests of Nigerians.
