By Francis Wilfred
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has presented its first prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Ibrahim Habib Ibrahim, who is accused of laundering N458 million. The case is before Justice Alexander Owoeye at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos.Ibrahim faces a two-count charge of money laundering involving N458,396,967.50 (Four Hundred and Fifty-Eight Million, Three Hundred and Ninety-Six Thousand, Nine Hundred and Sixty-Seven Naira, Fifty Kobo). He has pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
Emmanuel Adeyemi, Head of Fraud Prevention and Investigation at Unity Bank, testified that the bank’s database was compromised in December 2021, resulting in unauthorized transfers totaling N458 million from nine customer accounts.
Adeyemi further explained that Unity Bank formally petitioned the EFCC for assistance in investigating the fraud and tracing the methods used by the perpetrators. He confirmed the authenticity of the petition and supporting documents signed by Olusegun Famoriyo, Chief Audit Executive of Unity Bank, and Ebenezer Kolawole, then Executive Director of Finance and Operations and now Managing Director of the bank. The court admitted the petition and supporting documents as evidence. The witness also noted that Famoriyo is currently in Canada on holiday, while Kolawole is away on an official assignment.
The EFCC prosecution team, following Adeyemi’s testimony, formally tendered the petition and related documents, which were accepted by the court.Justice Owoeye adjourned the case to May 20, 2026, for the continuation of the trial.
