Banker in court for stealing 12 million naira

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a banker, Yagana Ibrahim Bukar before Justice Fatu Riman of the Federal High Court Kano on a 10-count charge bordering on money laundering and theft.

The accused, who was arraigned on Wednesday, is said to have abused her position as an account officer of Skye Bank Plc and stolen depositors’ funds to the tune of N12,626,250. She allegedly perpetrated the scam by posting the sum into three separate Skye Bank accounts belonging to her family members, namely; her sister Hajja Fanna,  her brother Grema Ibrahim Bukar and her son Ummu Kulthum.

A statement by the EFCC head of media, Wilson Uwujaren, yesterday in Abuja stated that the accused allegedly used part of the money to start up a provision store in the Kawo area of Kano metropolis in order to conceal the origin of the illicit money.

One of the charges preferred against her stated; “That you, Yagana Ibrahim Bukar, on or about August 15, 2011 in Kano within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, converted the sum of N1, 166, 920 (one million, one hundred and sixty-six thousand nine hundred and twenty naira, only) derived directly from participation in theft, by depositing the said amount into the Sky Bank account of Hajja Fanna, with the aim of concealing the illicit origin of the resources and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 15(1)(a)(ii) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.”