• Funds stolen from customers’ corporate accounts, transferred to over 70 accounts in different banks

Access Bank Plc has approached the Federal High Court in Lagos seeking to recover ₦1.34 billion allegedly siphoned from the accounts of four corporate customers through unauthorised transactions on its Access SME internet banking platform.

The bank’s legal action followed the discovery on August 12, 2026, of suspicious transfers involving the accounts of MIB TXN Bullion, Aba Branch; AIICO General Insurance Company Limited; Apogee Engineering Limited; and SIMS Nigeria Limited.

Court documents showed that a total of ₦1,340,425,393 was allegedly transferred from the four accounts and subsequently distributed to accounts domiciled with Access Bank and 71 other financial institutions.

The affected amounts were ₦590,975,889 from MIB TXN Bullion, ₦420,449,504 from AIICO General Insurance Company Limited, ₦136 million from Apogee Engineering Limited and ₦193 million from SIMS Nigeria Limited.

In an ex-parte application marked FHC/LAG/MISC/1168/2026, Access Bank asked the court to preserve the funds and prevent their further movement pending the determination of its substantive suit.

The bank listed 71 financial institutions as respondents and sought orders directing them to place post-no-debit restrictions on accounts and Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) linked to the alleged fraudulent transfers.

It also asked the court to compel the affected banks to disclose the amounts remaining in the beneficiary accounts and watchlist the BVNs associated with accounts that received the funds.

Access Bank further sought an order directing the reversal of any recovered funds into its account, but the court declined to grant the request at the preliminary stage.

In its affidavit, the bank said its internal investigation established that the funds had been transferred without the authorisation of the affected customers and subsequently distributed among several accounts.

The bank said it immediately contacted the affected financial institutions, notified them of the suspected fraud and requested that the funds be preserved while investigations continued.

It argued that urgent court intervention was necessary to prevent the suspected proceeds from being withdrawn, transferred or otherwise dissipated.

Access Bank also maintained that preserving the funds was necessary to protect its customers and prevent cybercrime capable of causing significant financial and economic damage.

Justice Akintayo Aluko, after considering submissions by Access Bank’s counsel, Ifeoma E. Enyinnaya, granted three of the reliefs sought by the bank.

The judge held that the essence of the application was to preserve the funds from further dissipation and that the court had a duty to protect the subject matter of the case.

However, Justice Aluko declined to grant the relief seeking immediate reversal of the recovered funds, holding that such an order would amount to a final determination of part of the case at the preliminary stage.

The court subsequently adjourned the matter until August 31, 2026, for further proceedings.

Justice Aluko also directed Access Bank’s counsel to file an undertaking as to damages in the event that the orders granted by the court are later found to have been unwarranted.

Afrobeats superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has said he will not apologise to Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo over his decision to share what was presented as the governor’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination result on social media.

Davido made his position clear during an interview with News Central Television, where he spoke about his recent disagreement with the Edo State governor and explained why he stood by his decision to publish the document.

The controversy followed comments attributed to Okpebholo concerning Davido’s uncle, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke. The Edo governor had criticised Adeleke’s frequent dancing at public events, a comment that drew a response from Davido.

The singer subsequently took the matter further by posting what was presented as Okpebholo’s WASSCE result on his Instagram story. The post quickly attracted attention online, with social media users discussing the growing disagreement between the singer and the governor.

During the interview, Davido was asked whether he regretted making the examination result public and if he was prepared to apologise to Okpebholo. The singer rejected the idea of an apology and maintained that he had no plans to withdraw his action.

Davido explained that his decision was connected to his concerns about governance and the condition of infrastructure in Edo State. He particularly mentioned the road leading to the Edo State Government House, which he criticised during the interview.

According to the singer, his intention was to draw the attention of residents to what he considered important questions about the leadership of the state. He argued that the people of Edo State should be able to assess the performance of their elected officials and make their own judgments.

Davido also appeared to suggest that the issue could become relevant again when the governor seeks another term in office. He said he would return to the matter during the next election campaign, indicating that he intends to keep the criticism alive rather than treat the disagreement as a temporary exchange.

The singer’s comments have added another layer to the political disagreements involving him and prominent Nigerian politicians. Davido has increasingly used his public platform to comment on political issues, particularly when members of his family are directly involved in politics.

His latest remarks show that the disagreement with Okpebholo remains unresolved. While the governor’s earlier comments focused on Adeleke’s public conduct, Davido’s response has shifted attention to questions about the governor’s record and the condition of infrastructure in Edo State.

Davido said, “I am not going to apologize to Monday Okpebholo. I posted his WAEC results for the people of Edo State to see who is governing them.”

He added that the road leading to the Government House would remain an issue and said, “We will visit him when it is time for his re-election.”