By Innocent Anaba

LAGOS—Three staff of Ecobank Plc have been arraigned before a Tinubu Magistrate’s Court on Lagos Island, Lagos State, on a three-count charge of conspiracy, forgery and stealing.

The alleged offence was discovered by the Quality Assurance Unit of the bank during weekly reconciliation.

The prosecutor, Inspector Nurudeen Thomas, told the court that the accused persons— Oluwatoyin Adetunji , 41; Oluwatosin Obademi, 32; and Olushola Ogunshina, 39— were discovered during a routine inspection conducted by Ecobank Quality Assurance Department to have forged signatures of some customers and stolen N2.8 million from their accounts at the Iyana-Ipaja branch of the bank between July 10 and 14, 2015. The fraud was discovered a few days later.

Thomas said Adetunji and Obademi, who were cashiers and Ogunshina, an Information Technology personnel in the bank, were arrested by police called in by the bank, when the crime was discovered.

According to the prosecutor, Obademi and Ogunshina in their confession statements claimed that Adetunji came to them with the deal and promised to pay them N350,000 each.

Thomas said that the offences contravene Sections 285, 361 and 409 of the Criminal Code of Lagos State, 2011.

The Chief Magistrate, K. Ayeye, granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties each in like sum and adjourned the case to February 22 for hearing.