Court Remands Alleged Hacker Over N10.5m Fraud

Justice Yellim Bogoro of a Federal High Court, Lagos, has remanded an alleged hacker, Umolu Jonathan, in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS).

The alleged hacker is to remain in the NCoS’ facility till February 28, when the court will rule on his bail application.

The alleged hacker was arraigned before the court on Tuesday, by the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) on charges of alleged conspiracy, Cybercrime, fraud of N10 million and unlawful funds conversion.

The court remand order against the hacker was sequel to is not guilty plea to the charges and when he was arraigned on Tuesday.

Prior to the remand order, the operatives of the PSFU had slammed the hacker with five-count charge of the offences.

The PSFU through one of his prosecutor’s had told the court that the alleged hacker and other at large, had sometimes in April 2022, conspired among themselves and hacked into the computer and network system of a company, Global Prime Airtime X Limited.

Specifically, the prosecutor told the court that the alleged hacker and other at large, on April 29, 2022, hacked into the company’s server and caused the company lost of airtimes and funds worth N10.5 million.

The hacker was alleged to have wired the money into his Wema bank account number 7818585762, with account name UMOLU Jonathas FLW.

The prosecutor told the court that the actions of the alleged hacker contravened sections 27(1)(b); 6(1)(3); 16(1) and 14(1) Cybercrime (Prohibition) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 6(2) of the same Act.

He added that the defendant’s action also contravened section 15 (2)(b), Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, No, 11, 2011 and punishable under Section 1543) of the same Act.

Based on the alleged hacker’s not guilty plea to the charges, and after his counsel moved his bail application, which was not opposed by the prosecutor, Justice Bogoro, while adjourning that the matter to February 28, for ruling on the bail application, pronounced that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the NCos.

Here are the charges against the alleged hacker: “that you, Umolu Jonathan ‘m’ and others at large, sometimes in April, 2022 did conspired amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit gaining unlawful access to computer system and networks of Global Prime Airtime X Limited, for fraudulent purposes, thereby committed an offence contrary to section 27(1)(b), Cybercrime (Prohibition) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 6(2) of the same Act.

“That you, Umolu Jonathan ‘M’, and others at large, on 29th April, 2022, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, did gain unlawful access to the computer system and networks of Gobel Prime Airtime X Limited, for fraudulent purposes, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6(1)(3), Cybercrime (Prohibition) Act, 2018 and punishable under Section 6(2) of the same Act.

“That you, Umolu Jonathan ‘m’, and others at large, on 29th April, 2022, at Lagos. Within the Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, with intent tp defraud and without lawful authorization, did cause modification to the data held in the computer system or networks of Global Prime Airtime X Limited, for Fraudulent purposes, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 16(1) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition) Act, 3015 and punishable under Section 16(1) of the same Act.

“That you, Umolu Jonathan ‘m’, on 29th April, 2023, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, did knowingly and without authority of Global Prime X Limited, caused lost of Airtimes and funds worth ten million, five hundred thousand Naira (N10, 500, 000.00), property of Global Prime Airtime X Limited, held in the computer or network of the company, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1), Cybercrime (Prohibition) Act, 2018 and punishable under Section 14(1) of the same Act.

“That you, Umolu Jonathan ‘M’, on 29 April, 2022, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, did knowingly and without authority of Global Prime X Limited, transferred cumulatively, Airtime and Funds worth ten million and five hundred thousand naira (N10, 500,000.00), property of Global Prime Airtime X Limited held in the computer or network of the company, into Wema bank account number 7818585762, with account name UMOLU Jonathas FLW, which you knew or reasonably ought to have known that such fund forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, thereby commuted an offence contrary to Section 15 (2)(b), Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, No, 11, 2011 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

“That you, Umolu Jonathan ‘M’, and others at large, on 29th April, 2022, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, did gain unlawful access to the computer system and networks of Gobel Prime Airtime X Limited, for fraudulent purposes, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6(1)(3), Cybercrime (Prohibition) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 6(2) of the same Act.

“That you, Umolu Jonathan ‘m’, and others at large, on 29th April, 2022, at Lagos. Within the Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, with intent tp defraud and without lawful authorization, did cause modification to the data held in the computer system or networks of Global Prime Airtime X Limited, for Fraudulent purposes, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 16(1) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 16(1) of the same Act.

“That you, Umolu Jonathan ‘m’, on 29th April, 2023, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, did knowingly and without authority of Global Prime X Limited, caused lost of Airtimes and funds worth ten million, five hundred thousand Naira (N10, 500, 000.00), property of Global Prime Airtime X Limited, held in the computer or network of the company, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1), Cybercrime (Prohibition) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 14(1) of the same Act.