Tunde Ayeni, former chairman of Skye Bank, was remanded in Kuje Correctional Facility by the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja on Monday. He appeared before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie after being arraigned on 17 counts of criminal breach of trust involving about N8 billion. Ayeni entered a not-guilty plea. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed the charges, alleging he authorized unauthorized transfers from Polaris Bank's suspense account between 2014 and 2016. The funds were allegedly diverted to companies including Capital Assets Limited, Misa Limited, and Union Registrar Limited.
Prosecution counsel Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, requested the court to remand Ayeni in custody pending trial. His defence lawyer, Ahmed Raji, informed the court that a bail application had been filed and served on the prosecution. He argued that Ayeni, a legal practitioner with over 35 years of experience, should be released on bail. Raji offered to present Ayeni in court on the next adjourned date with fellow SAN Olalekan Ojo as surety. The court adjourned the hearing on the bail application to 13 May. Justice Onwuegbuzie denied the request to release Ayeni to his lawyers and ordered his continued detention.
The EFCC arrested Ayeni on 23 April in Abuja. The charges, filed on 28 April, relate to loans obtained through entities linked to him and allegedly diverted from their intended purposes. Previous cases involving Ayeni include an 2018 prosecution alongside former Skye Bank MD Timothy Oguntayo, which is still ongoing, and a 2019 money laundering case involving N25.4 billion where charges were withdrawn in July 2022 following a settlement described in court as involving asset forfeitures.
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