By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka (Senior Correspondent)
An employee of Skye Bank Plc, John Alikalih, was on Wednesday arraigned by the police before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court in Lagos over alleged N1.4 million fraud.
Mr. Alikalih, a Customer Service Officer, of the bank was alleged to have withdrawn the said amount which belongs to customers of the bank under false pretence.
The bank staff whose residential address was not given was docked for trial on a three-count charge bordering on fraud.
According to the prosecutor Inspector Abbass Abayomi, the accused person committed the alleged offence on January 19, at about 1:00 p.m, at Isheri Ojodu branch of Skye Bank Plc, Lagos.
Abayomi told the court that the accused used his position in the bank to fraudulently withdraw the sum of N1.1 million from an account belonging to one Mrs. Felicia Adesola and also withdrew another sum of N334, 052, from an account belonging to another customer, Mrs. Josephine Benson.
“The accused willfully procured the registration of two ATM cards belonging to the two complainants, Adesola and Benson, therefore used the ATM cards to perpetrate the acts.
“The total amount which the accused fraudulently withdrew from the bank customers’ accounts was N1.4 million,” Abayomi said.
According to the prosecutor, the offences contravened Sections 326 and 327 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge.
The Magistrate, Mrs. Abimbola Komolafe granted him bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.
She ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed, adding that one of them must be a blood relation to the accused and they must show evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
The Magistrate thereafter adjourned the case until February 27 for mention.