By ADENIKE AYODELE

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned three men before an Ikeja Special Offences Court for allegedly stealing the sum of N3.5 billion from Access Bank.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three men are Michael Igbomins, David Onyeike and Moses Iruolaje, on two counts of stealing and retention of proceeds of crime.

The defendants, whose residential addresses were not provided, however, pleaded not guilty.

The EFCC Counsel, Mr Abdulhamid Tukur, thereafter, prayed the court for a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded in a correctional facility.

The defence counsel, however, informed the court that there was no pending application before the court and prayed that the needful would be done before the next adjourned date.

The prosecutor told the court that the defendants allegedly committed the offences sometimes in 2023 in Lagos.

The prosecution submitted that the defendants, with dishonest intent, allegedly stole and converted to their own use the sum of N3.5 billion, property of Access Bank.

EFCC also alleged that the defendants retained the said amount of money, the proceed they knew to have been from unlawful act.

According to the anti-graft agency, the alleged offences violate Section 17 ofthe EFCC Establishment Act, 2004 and Section 280 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.

Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe remanded the defendants in Ikoyi Custodial Centre pending the hearing and determination of their bail application.

Abike-Fadipe, however, adjourned the case until Nov. 28 for commencement of trial. (NAN)