The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Oyo State on Wednesday arraigned an ex-banker, Akinwole Oluwaseun Dosunmu, alongside his wife, Motunrayo Olanike Dosunmu for allegedly stealing N2.7m from Sterling bank PLC.

The duo were brought before Justice Ladiran Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan.

EFFCC acting spokesman, Tony Orilade who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja further explained that the couple was accused of stealing the said sum from Sterling Bank Plc.

Akinwole reportedly was an employee of the bank, while his wife was a customer and a beneficiary in the bank’s Third Party Acquirer Scheme.It was learnt that 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.

Besides, Akinwole was said to be a marketer with the bank and, was appointed to coordinate the scheme.

Apart from the commission on account opening, the referral was also said to enjoy 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.

Investigations also revealed that the accounts were never sourced by the couple but 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.Newsmen gathered that 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 on Tuesday.

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 An Nee was generated by Motunrayo Olanike Dosunmu and thereby committed an offense”.

But the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

It was on this basis that 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.

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

In his ruling, Justice Akintola adjourned the matter to Friday, February 21, for hearing of the bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Agodi, Ibadan.

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