Seven Remanded for Hacking into Firm’s Server, Siphon N435m

Wale Igbintade

Men of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (ForceCID) Annex, Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos, have arraigned a seven-man syndicate before a Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly hacking into a server named ‘Payvice’, an electronic platform of ITEX Integrated Services Limited, and fraudulently withdrew N435, 386, 699. 99.

The alleged fraudsters were arraigned before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa are, Aderuku Oluwafemi Adedayo, Adigun Anuoluwapo Benjamin, Awopetu Tosin, Ajibade Taiwo Ayomide, Ojo Olamide Olwaseun, Miller Dunsin Oluwafemi, Olaleye Damilola Samuel and Ajibade Kehinde Ayodeyi.
Police prosecutor, Morufu Animashaun, during their arraignment told the court that the defendants conspired among themselves to commit the offences with others now at large since September 7, 2022.

He told the court that all the defendants jointly hacked the company’s server and defrauded the company of different sums amounting to N435, 386, 699. 99.
He further told the court that the first defendant benefitted from the fraud with the sum of N29.9 million, the second Defendant received N51million, while the third and fourth Defendants received N19 million and N20 million respectively.

Animashaun also informed the court that the fifth to eighth Defendants received N13 million, N3 million, N13 million and N20 million respectively.
He said the first, second, third, seven and eight Defendants after perpetrated the alleged frauds, transferred parts of the sums to some people in different banks.
He told the court that the offences committed by defendants were contrary to sections 8(a), 1(1)(a), 2(a) and 7(2)(b)of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following their ‘not guilty’ plea, the prosecutor asked the court to remand them till the determination of the charges against them.
But the defence’ counsel, F. F. Abisagbo, told the court that he had filed his clients’ bail application and same has been served on the prosecution, but the prosecutor contended that he has not been served with the application.
The court also confirmed that defendants’ bail application was not before the court.

Consequently, Justice Lewis-Allagoa ordered that the Defendants be remanded in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), and adjourned the case till April 27, for commencement of trial.