A Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has sentenced a train driver, Christopher Ofielu, to one year and six months in prison for stealing ₦6,995,944 belonging to HabariPay Limited. The 39-year-old locomotive driver, who works with the Nigerian Railway Corporation, was convicted after pleading guilty to a one-count charge of stealing filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

According to the EFCC, Ofielu exploited a system error in October 2023 to illegally move ₦6,995,944 from HabariPay’s account into his personal Access Bank account (No. 14864072356). Investigations revealed that he created a HabariPay Squad account to carry out the fraudulent transfer. A petition submitted by HabariPay in September 2023 led to the EFCC’s investigation, which uncovered that the glitch allowed over ₦900 million in unauthorized transactions.

During the court proceedings, EFCC investigator Adams Adze testified that the fraudulent activity started with a ₦500 test transfer before the full amount was moved. He also disclosed that Ofielu was part of a WhatsApp group used by others involved in similar illegal transactions.

Justice Rahman Oshodi, who presided over the case, sentenced the defendant to one year and six months imprisonment, effective October 20, 2025, with an option to pay a ₦1.5 million fine instead of jail time. The judge also ordered that the stolen ₦6,995,944 be refunded to HabariPay Limited from Ofielu’s Access Bank account within seven days.

The court further directed that Ofielu’s biometric data be entered into the Lagos State Offenders’ Database and his Ecobank account restored after restitution. Justice Oshodi emphasized that while leniency was granted due to Ofielu’s remorse and first-time offender status, financial crimes must carry consequences to discourage others.