Police Arraigns Three For Defrauding Lagos Speaker Of N9.1m

Police Arraigns Three For Defrauding Lagos Speaker Of N9.1m

The police in Lagos on Tuesday arraigned three men accused of allegedly defrauding the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Mudashiru Obasa of the sum of N9, 188 before the Federal High Court, Lagos.
The three men, Frank Nwokobia, 27, Ezeoke Kanayochukwu, 25, and Godwin Essien, 28, were arraigned before Justice Chuka Obiozor by the Men of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), of Lagos State Police Command, Panti-Yaba, on a five-count charge of conspiracy, impersonation, identity theft, and fraud.
According to the police, the defendants were arrested at different locations in Delta State.
The police prosecutor, Barrister William Ologun, told the court that sometimes in May 2017, the defendants hacked the Facebook account of the Speaker and retrieved several information which they used to withdraw the sum of N9.188, 100.00 million from his bank account domiciled with Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) Plc.
The prosecutor also informed the court that the the three defendants were arrested in Delta State, after the complainant, Honourable Obasa, petitioned the police that his Facebook account had been hacked into and that the sum of N9.188,100 million was withdrawn from his account by unknown individuals.
He also stated that upon the arrest of the defendants, they voluntary made statements to the police on the offence.
The police prosecutor said that that the offences were contrary to sections 27(1)(b) and 22(2)(b)(ii) of the Cybercrimes Prohibition  and Prevention Act, 2015.
The three defendants however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Based on their not guilty plea, their counsel, Ali Abba, pleaded the court to grant his clients bail on liberal terms.
Ali told the court that his clients have credible sureties, and that they will always attend court for their trial.
In his ruling, Justice Obiozor, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N5 million with one surety each.
The judge also ordered that the sureties must be recommended by the defendants’ lawyer, must be resident of Lagos State, with landed property and have three years tax certificate.