Two women, Idorenyin Samuel Umoh and Fineness Monday Esu, have been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos over allegations of spreading false information about Access Bank Plc.
The defendants were arraigned on a three-count charge filed by the Nigeria Police Force in suit number FHC/L/CR/773/2026.
According to the police, the defendants allegedly conspired with other persons now at large to transmit a false publication concerning Access Bank through computer systems and networks.
The prosecution alleged that the publication claimed the bank would shut down its operations from September 23, 2026, and urged customers to close their accounts and withdraw their funds.
The alleged publication was said to have been circulated through Facebook and WhatsApp on or about July 28, 2026.
The police further alleged that the publication was capable of causing fear and alarm among members of the public and disrupting public peace.
The charges include alleged offences under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024, as well as Section 59(1) of the Criminal Code Act.
When the three counts were read to them in court, both defendants pleaded not guilty.
Following their pleas, the prosecuting counsel, Stanley Nwafoaku, from the Directorate of Legal Services of the Federal Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos, urged the court to remand the defendants in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending trial.
However, counsel representing the defendants, Cynthia Nwanpu, who appeared in place of Ifenna Okeke, requested a short date to enable the defence to file a formal bail application.
Presiding Judge Akintayo Aluko subsequently ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
The court adjourned the matter until November 25, 2026, for trial, with the defence expected to file its bail application ahead of the next hearing.
The allegations against the defendants remain matters before the court, and both women are presumed innocent unless proven guilty according to law.
