Lagos Federal High Court has sentenced a staff member of Ecobank Plc, Solomon Ufayo, to one year in prison after he pleaded guilty to cybercrime involving N2.4 million.
Justice Yellim Bogoro handed down the sentence on Monday following Ufayo’s conviction on a one-count charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2.
According to the EFCC’s statement, between March 10 and March 28, 2025, while serving as a Relief Teller at Ecobank, Ufayo fraudulently posed as a customer, Ogunfodunrin Ajoke, and manipulated her account by posting false deposits and processing withdrawals totaling N2.4 million without her consent. He subsequently transfered the stolen funds to his own account in a different bank.
The charge read: “That you, Solomon Stephen Ufayo, between the 10th to the 28th day of March 2025, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while working for Ecobank Nigeria Limited as a Relief Teller, fraudulently represented yourself as Ogunfodunrin Omowunmi Ajoke by posting false deposit and withdrawal tellers on her Ecobank account number 2801086259 with intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22(2)(b)(i) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015 and punishable by Section 22(2)(b) of the same Act.”
Ufayo pleaded guilty to the charges.
During the trial, EFCC operative David Gajere presented the facts of the case and explained that Ufayo made a confession and voluntarily returned the stolen sum through a bank draft as restitution.
In a plea for leniency, Ufayo cited financial hardships and the birth of his child while in custody. “I was still in custody when my wife delivered the baby. I have learned from my mistakes,” he said.
Justice Bogoro subsequently sentenced Ufayo to a year in prison with the option of a N500,000 fine. The court also ordered him to perform two weeks of community service.