By Francis Ekeh

An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State has sentenced a female banker, Blessing Bassey, to seven years imprisonment for stealing N2.68 million from a bank.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that  Chief Magistrate  F.M. Kayode-Alamu sentenced Bassey following her change of plea from not guilty to guilty.

Banker jailed 7 years for stealing N2.68m

Bassey, an employee of one of the old generation banks, was alledged to have stolen the money from her employer between April 15 and April 20, 2022 at Iddo, Ebute Meta, in  contravention of Section 287(9) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

Bassey had pleaded not guilty to a count charge of stealing  on arraignment  on April 22.

The count granted her bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum, but she was unable to meet her bail condition.

Thus, she was remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre for months.

After several adjournments, she decided to change her plea.

The court consequently reviewed the facts of the case and sentenced her.

The court, however,  gave her an option to pay back the sum she stole within a year and serve four years in prison instead of seven years.