The Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has convicted a former banker, Christopher Jackson Edeh, for fraudulently altering checking account particulars linked to NNPC Trading Limited, the Lagos and Kano state governments, and different entities in a N2.7 billion fraud case.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) disclosed the conviction in an announcement revealed on its official X account on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
Edeh, who was first introduced earlier than the court docket on February 28, 2024, was discovered responsible on 9 costs involving fraudulent false accounting and illegally accessing a pc system.
EFCC particulars accounts affected by fraud
According to the EFCC, Edeh manipulated banking data belonging to company prospects and government-related organisations with the intention of committing fraud.
The fee recognized a number of accounts allegedly affected by the unauthorised alterations, together with these belonging to public establishments and personal corporations.
- The accounts included these of the “Kano State Government Power Intervention Fund, NNPC Trading Limited, Stallion Vision Ltd, the Lagos State Government Blue Line, the State Contributory Pension Account and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University.”
- During the proceedings, EFCC prosecuting counsel Z.B. Atiku introduced three witnesses and submitted documentary proof to assist the costs in opposition to Edeh, whereas the defence known as one witness.
- Delivering her judgment, Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe dominated that the prosecution had established Edeh’s guilt past affordable doubt on all 9 counts.
The decide consequently handed him 5 years’ imprisonment on every of the primary seven counts involving fraudulent false accounting, with out an possibility of advantageous.
For the remaining two counts, which involved unlawful entry to a pc system to facilitate prison actions, the court docket imposed two years’ imprisonment on every depend, additionally with out an possibility of advantageous.
Although the person sentences amounted to 39 years, the decide directed that they run concurrently, which means Edeh will serve a most jail time period of 5 years underneath the judgment.
How the N2.7 billion case started
The case dates again to September 2023, when Edeh, who was then employed by Fidelity Bank Plc, was accused of manipulating prospects’ account info and gaining unauthorised entry to the financial institution’s pc system.
The EFCC subsequently arraigned him earlier than Justice Abike-Fadipe on 9 costs underneath Sections 337 and 387 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.
- One of the costs alleged that Edeh, whereas working at Fidelity Bank, “with intent to defraud, altered the customer account details of Dangote Cement Plc in possession of Fidelity Bank.”
- Another accused him of gaining unauthorised entry to Fidelity Bank’s Entrust portal in September 2023 to facilitate the alleged theft of N2,737,784,800.
Edeh denied the allegations and pleaded not responsible when the costs have been learn to him, prompting the prosecution to proceed with the case.
EFCC prosecutes different main fraud circumstances
Edeh’s conviction follows a number of different fraud-related prosecutions involving former banking officers and people accused of economic misconduct in Nigeria.
Over the years, the EFCC has secured convictions in circumstances involving the unlawful diversion of funds and acquiring cash by way of false representations, whereas different investigations have led to contemporary prison costs.
In February 2026, the EFCC arraigned two suspects over an alleged N600 million employment fraud related to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited. The case concerned allegations of accumulating cash underneath false pretences linked to a promised appointment.
