Manny Ita –
Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has arraigned former Skye Bank chairman Tunde Ayeni over an alleged ₦15.6 billion fraud.
Ayeni was brought before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja on a 17-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, misappropriation, and diversion of investors’ funds. Prosecutors allege that the offences occurred during his tenure at the now-defunct Skye Bank Plc.
According to the EFCC, Ayeni allegedly diverted large sums from depositors’ funds, including ₦3.2 billion moved from a bank suspense account to a private company, and another ₦5.07 billion transferred to a separate firm, both in violation of banking regulations.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Following his plea, the prosecution asked the court to fix a trial date and remand him in custody, while the defence requested that he be released either to his lawyers or back to EFCC custody.
The trial judge adjourned the case to May 13, 2026, to hear Ayeni’s bail application and ordered that he be held at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending that decision.
The case is part of a broader investigation into the collapse of Skye Bank, whose operating licence was revoked by the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2018 after it failed to meet recapitalisation requirements.
