Court Sentences Ex-First Bank Staff for Fake Insurance Scheme

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A former employee of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Mr Ebe Aniekeme Okokon, has been sentenced by a court in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Mr Okokon was found guilty by Justice Archibong Archibong of the Akwa Ibom State High Court of forgery and stealing.

The judge, while ruling on the matter brought before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), held that, “Since the offence of stealing and forgery are both morally and legally reprehensible, I believe that a punishment for you here, will serve as a deterrent to others who may wish to be or behave like you.”

Mr Okokon was then sentenced to six months imprisonment on each count to run concurrently, from the date of arrest. He was, however, given the option of a fine of N200,000 on each count.

It was learnt that the former banker was sacked by First Bank after he tricked one Ms Effiong Asuquo into paying him N970,000 for a fake life insurance scheme policy which he promised would earn the policy holder interest at maturity in one year.

After investing in the scheme in 2018, the convict issued a forged copy of the scheme’s form to the complainant and on June 13, 2019 when she expected to receive credit alert of her accrued interest, nothing came as she was left high and dry

Exasperated, she rushed to the branch of the bank where the convict claimed he worked, only to be told that he had been sacked and that the forms of the scheme used by the convict were forged.

Mr Okokon was arrested on January 31, 2020, and admitted to the crime and subsequently arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on stealing and forgery, to which he pleaded guilty.

In view of his plea, the counsel to the EFCC, Mr Segun Akinrinlade, reviewed the facts of the case and tendered various documents which the court admitted in evidence and marked exhibits ‘A’ to ‘I’.

The documents included the petition dated July 29, 2019; the bank statement of the complainant dated August 21, 2019, and Certificate of Identification; response Letter from First Bank, Certificate of Identification and account statements of the convict.

Other documents were the convict’s statement dated January 31, 2020, as well as the response letter from First Bank Insurance dated July 14, 2020.