The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the defunct Skye Bank Plc, now Polaris Bank Limited, Tunde Ayeni, over an alleged ₦15.6 billion fraud.
Ayeni appeared before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo, Abuja, on Monday to answer an amended 18-count charge bordering on alleged criminal breach of trust, misappropriation, and diversion of funds.
The amended charges followed the filing of additional proof of evidence by the anti-graft agency.
At the commencement of proceedings, lead prosecution counsel, Abba Mohammed, SAN, informed the court that the EFCC had filed an amended charge and supplementary evidence on June 22, 2026.
Counsel to the defendant, Abdul Mohammed, SAN, confirmed that the defence had received the amended charge.
According to the EFCC, one of the charges alleges that Ayeni, while serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the then Skye Bank Plc, dishonestly misappropriated ₦510 million from the bank’s suspense account in September 2014 by transferring the funds to the account of Capital Field Investment Group Limited, contrary to the bank’s operational policy.
Another count accuses him of unlawfully transferring ₦600 million from the same suspense account to Harigold Ventures Limited through an account domiciled with Sterling Bank during the same period.
The Commission alleged that the transactions constituted criminal breach of trust involving depositors’ funds under Ayeni’s control while he served as chairman of the bank.
When the amended charges were read, Ayeni pleaded not guilty to all 18 counts.
The former bank chairman was initially arraigned on May 4, 2026, on a 17-count charge before the EFCC amended the information and filed additional evidence.
Following the defendant’s plea, Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the matter until July 6, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
