Ex-Banker Jailed 39 Years Over N2.7bn Fraud

A former banker, Christopher Jackson Edeh, has been sentenced to a total of 39 years’ imprisonment for his involvement in a N2.7 billion fraud involving the alteration of bank account details belonging to customers and government-related entities.

Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, handed down the sentence on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, after finding Edeh guilty of nine counts bordering on fraudulent false accounting and unauthorised access to a computer system.

Edeh was arraigned on February 28, 2024, by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The charges alleged that he fraudulently altered account details belonging to several customers and entities, including 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 trial, prosecuting counsel, Z.B. Atiku, called three witnesses and tendered several documents to establish the case against the defendant. The defence called one witness.

In her judgment, Justice Abike-Fadipe held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and convicted Edeh on all nine counts.

The judge sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment without an option of fine on each of counts one to seven, which bordered on fraudulent false accounting.

For counts eight and nine, relating to unauthorised access to a computer system with intent to facilitate the commission of crimes, the court sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment without an option of fine on each count.

The court, however, ordered that all the sentences run concurrently, meaning Edeh will serve them at the same time rather than consecutively.