By Yetunde Beecroft (Lagos Island Correspondent, in Ikoyi)
The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ikoyi, on Monday, March 23, 2026, arraigned one Andrew Odekina before Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, over an alleged theft of N9,873,215.00( Nine Million, Eight Hundred and Seventy Three Thousand, Two Hundred and Fifteen Thousand Naira only)
Odekina was docked on a one-count charge bordering on retention of proceeds of criminal conduct, contrary to Section 17(a) and (b) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004.
According to the charge, the defendant, alongside others still at large, allegedly received and retained the sum of N9,873,215.00 in his FCMB account in 2025.
The charge reads: “Andrew Odekina and other persons at large, sometime in 2025 at Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court received into your FCMB account number 21016691841 and retained control of the sum of N9,873,215 (Nine Million, Eight hundred and Seventy-three thousand, Two hundred and Fifteen Naira), money which forms part of N3, 091,441.849 (Three Billion, Ninety-one Million, Four hundred and Forty-one Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty-Nine Naira) stolen from accounts domiciled with FCMB, through unauthorised access and fraudulent activities on their bank applications".
The defendant pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him.
Following his plea, prosecution counsel, Babatunde Sonoiki, requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendant in a Correctional facility pending trial. The defendant was, however, not represented by a counsel at the proceedings.
Justice Dada subsequently adjourned the matter till May 11, 2026, for trial and ordered that the defendant be remanded in a Correctional centre. NNL.
