By Desire Emmanuel
A former Head of Operations at Access Bank Nigeria Plc, Obinna Nwaobi, is currently facing charges in a court in Enugu State following his arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for transferring the sum of $510,000 belonging to a customer of the bank into six different accounts.
He was arraigned before Justice F. O. Giwa-Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court, Enugu State. on a nine-count charge bordering on forgery and diversion of $510,000 belonging to the said customer.
Trouble began for the former manager in 2024 when the commission received a petition from Access Bank Plc, alerting the EFCC of unauthorised transfers from its customer’s account.
According to the petitioner, the money, belonging to its customer, Lantern Gate Nigeria Limited, was moved to six different accounts on the authorisation of Obinna Nwaobi, who was its Head of Operation as at that time, without the approval of the customer.
Following the petition, the man was arrested and following investigation, he was arraigned in the court on Thursday and the charges were read to him. He was said to have pleaded not guilty.
After his not-guilty plea, the defence counsel, F. C. Obinna, told the court about a bail application before it, dated October 24, 2025 and supported by eight-paragraph affidavit. He adopted same and prayed the court to admit his client to bail. Reacting to the said application, counsel to the EFCC, Mainforce Adaka Ekwu, opposed the application via an 11-paragraph counter affidavit filed on November 12, 2025.
While relying on the said counter affidavit, the prosecution urged the court to refuse the said application because “the quality of evidence we have in our proof of evidence might put fear in him and he might want to abscond.” After listening to both parties, the court granted the defendant bail in the sum of N250 million and three sureties in like sum. Two of the sureties shall have landed properties in Enugu State and the papers of the said properties must be submitted to the court. “The third surety shall be a relative of the defendant, who shall deposit evidence of tax payment for three years. The defendant and the sureties shall deposit two passports each to the court and the defendant shall deposit his international passport and National Identification Number to the court until the determination of this case,” the court ruled. The judge thereafter adjourned the matter till March 10, 11 and 12, 2026 for trial while the defendant was remanded at the facility of the Nigeria Correctional Service in Enugu.
