Court Remands 3-Man Fraud Syndicate For Defrauding Bank Of N500m

Court Remands 3-Man Fraud Syndicate For Defrauding Bank Of N500m

Three men, Kehinde Oladimeji, Olanrewaju Adeshina, Kolapo Stephen, were today, remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), for allegedly hacking into a server, and defrauded it of N500 million, by Justice Peter Lifu of a Lagos Federal High Court.

Justice Lifu ordered the men’s remand after they pleaded not guilty to cyber crime allegation made against them by the men of the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Ikoyi, Lagos.

Arraigning the alleged fraud syndicate members today, in a charge marked FHC/L/238c/2022, the prosecutor, Mr. Emmanuel Jackson, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) and the Officer in Charge of PSFU Legal department, told the court that the three defendants committed the offence between March 22 and 30, 2022, at Victoria Island, Lagos.

CSP Jackson told the court that the three defendants conspired with one Chibuzor and Taiwo Olajiwole, who are in Holland and France respectively, to commit the offence.

The prosecutor particularly told the court that the three defendants, Chibuzor and Taiwo Olajiwole caused unauthorized modification and interference with the bank’s computer system and networks, through zoom, in order to facilitate the commission of the said fraud against the Bank.

He further told the court that the third defendant, Kolapo Stephen, flew in from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to partake in the alleged fraud.

He told the court that the offence committed by the three men, is contrary to Section 27(1)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015, but punishable under Section 16(1) of the same Act. 

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the allegation. 

Following the plea, the prosecutor asked the court for a trial date, as well urged the court to remand them in the custody of the NCoS.

In particular, the prosecutor urged the court to refuse the defendants’ application for bail and to order accelerated hearing, due to the nature of the case and the defendants’ network. 

But their lawyer, Mr. Ogunbiyi Olafimihan, told the court that he just filed the defendants’ bail appllication. But the judge said there was appllication of such in the court file.

Following the hint given by the court, Ogunbiyi asked for a short adjournment, and also pleaded with the court to remand his clients in th facility of PSFU. 

Justice Lifu, while adjourning the matter till May 13, for commencement of trial, held that: “I ordered for accelerated hearing of this case as requested by the prosecutor.”

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