Court Remand 4 Persons Over Alleged Hacking, N95.9m Fraud
Justice Daniel Osiagor of a Federal High Court, Lagos, has ordered the remand of three men and a lady, who were alleged to have participated in hacking a payment platform, stole the sum a total sum of N95, 907, 884.13 million.
Those remanded by the court on the alleged crimes are: Ada Chinyere Onuwualu (F); Okeke Innocent (M) Njoku Emmanuel Ejike (M) and Ogaga Iyomo (M).
The judge judge ordered their remand at that facilities of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) in Lagos, after they all pleaded not guilty to the charges made against them by the operatives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (ForceCID) Annex Alagbon-Ikoyi Lagos State, on Thursday.
All the defendants were brought before the court by Barrister Morufu Ajani Animashaun, a legal officer in the Legal/Prosecution Department of the ForceCID, on a seven count-charge of conspiracy, hacking, unlawful conversion of funds, stealing and receiving stolen funds.
The prosecutor while arraigning the defendants, informed the court they committed the offences sometime in June 2025, at No. 20 Adesola Street, Ikorodu, Lagos State.
He specifically informed the court that all the defendants and others now at large, hacked into the base system of Quick Collect Company and fraudulently and unlawfully transfer the sum of N95, 907, 884.13 million into different bank accounts.
They were also alleged to have converted the money into 8, 073, 689. 99 million of Kenya Shillings (KES).
The prosecutor also told the court that one of the defendants, Ada Chinyere Onuwualu, received the sum of N36. 2 million and kept same in her Keystone Bank’s account number 6050134351
The prosecutor told the court that the defendants’ illegal acts contravened sections 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006. Section 8 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, and Section 383, 427 and punishable under Section 390 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, LFN 2004.
All the defendants however pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Based on their not guilty plea, the prosecutor asked for a trial date, and urged the court to remand the defendants pending trial.
But lawyers to the defendants, informed the court that they have filed their clients bail applications.
But the prosecutor said that he was yet to be served with the applications. He however urged that court to give the defendants bail terms that will ensure their presence in court pending the determination of the charge.
Based on the above, the trial judge admitted each of the defendants to bail in the sum of N10 million with one surety.
The judge also ordered that the surety must be a landed one with Certificate of Occupancy (Cof) of a Grade Level 10 officer in the government establishment.
The judge however ordered the remand of the defendants in the facilities of the Nigerian Correctional Services NCoS pending the fulfillment of the bail terms.