crime

How we apprehended Access Bank’s account hacker — EFCC

Published

3 years ago

February 8, 2022

An investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ms Adewunmi Omotosho on Monday told an Ikeja Special Offences Court how alleged Access Bank hacker, Chris Ihebuzo was apprehended by the anti-graft agency.

The newsmen report that Ihebuzo in a video that went viral online claimed to have gained access into the bank’s database and extracted data of over 2,000 customers.

Led in evidence by EFCC Prosecuting Counsel, Mr Franklin Ofoma, the investigator told the court that the EFCC received a petition from Access Bank complaining about a viral video on social media where a hacker was bragging about how he had access to accounts of the bank.

Adewunmi, the second prosecution witness, said that when EFCC apprehended Ihebuzo, they recovered an HP Laptop, 12 blank ATM Master Cards, documents containing account numbers, phone numbers and Biometric Verification Number (BVN) of customers.

Ofoma submitted the materials to court while urging the judge to admit them into evidence.

Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe thereafter admitted all the seized materials and documents as exhibits.

Adewunmi in her evidence told the court that a forensic expert working in EFCC had given her team, the defendant’s name and address.

She said that all the documents seized from Ihebuzo were exclusively for the bank.

The EFCC investigator further told the court that after his arrest, the defendant volunteered his statement to the commission under caution.

Newsmen report that Ihebuzo is facing a seven-count charge of stealing, demanding property by written threats, attempting to obtain property by false pretence and unauthorised access to computer material.

Other charges are: unauthorised access with intent to commit and facilitate the commission of further offences and unauthorised modification of computer materials.

The EFCC alleged that the defendant had sometime in August 2020 in Lagos with an intent to extort money from Access Bank Plc, knowingly sent an electronic mail to the bank’s management to demand money.

The defendant had claimed that he had in his possession, Access Bank Public Liability Company’s documents, containing the phone numbers, bank accounts, NIN numbers, and Biometrics Verification Numbers (BVN) of the bank’s customers.

The offences are contrary to Sections 21(5), 278(1) and (2), 285 (1), 312 (1)(a) and (2),385(1), 386(1), 387(1), 388(1) and 389 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011.

Justice Abike-Fadipe adjourned until Feb. 18 for continuation of trial.

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crime

HUNGER: Samuel John, 20, Jailed 6 Months For Stealing Beans

Published

6 days ago

September 13, 2024

Maritime First

NPA Retiree Jailed 14 Years Over N24.3m Fraud

The inability to control hunger may have landed a 20-year-old man, Samuel John, to six months in prison for stealing beans worth N20,000.

An Ibadan Grade ‘A’ Customary Court on Friday, sentenced Samuel John, after he pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of housebreaking and stealing.

The Court’s President, Mrs Sukurat Yusuf, sentenced John, without any option of fine and held that the convict should be kept in the Agodi Correctional facility in Ibadan.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Mr Philip Amusan, had told the court that John committed the offences on Sept. 2, at about 6. 00 p.m., in Omi-Adio area, Ibadan.

Amusan said the convict broke into the house of Mrs Felicia Oni and stole the beans without her consent.

He said the offences contravened Sections 411 and 390(9) of the Criminal Laws of Oyo State, 2000.

crime

Instructor Docked For Alleged Attempt to Kill Father

Published

1 week ago

September 11, 2024

Maritime First

Man Docked For Alleged Attempt to Kill Father

…As Court remands man, 44, for allegedly defiling 9-year-old girl

A Magistrate’s Court in Gwagwalada, FCT, docked a computer instructor, Samson Abayomi for allegedly attempting to kill his father with an axe and knife.

The police charged Abayomi, who resides on Jeremiah Oseni Road, Gwagwalada, Abuja with criminal intimidation and mischief.

The Prosecution Counsel, Dabo Yakubu told the court that on Aug. 2 the defendant allegedly entered his father’s apartment, Mr Bello Samson with an axe and a kitchen knife to kill him.

Yakubu said that Samson was rescued by a neighbour and in the process, the defendant allegedly destroyed his father’s vehicle windshield valued at N50,000.

He said that during the police investigation, the defendant allegedly confessed to having used a stick to commit the act.

He claimed that the axe and knife used act was recovered from the defendant.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened the provision of Sections 397 and 327 Penal Code.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Magistrate, Olatunji Oladunmoye admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N500,000 with two reasonable sureties in like sum.

He ordered that the sureties must reside within the jurisdiction of the court and adjourned the case until Sept. 18 for hearing.

In another development, a Badagry Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Lagos, on Wednesday remanded a 44-year-old man, Sunday Lukas, in custody, for allegedly defiling a nine-year-old girl.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Patrick Adekomaiya, ordered that Lukas be remanded at the Awarjigoh Correctional Centre, Badagry after he pleaded not guilty to a count charge of assault.

He ordered that the case file be duplicated and sent to the office of the Director for Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.

Adekomaiya, however, adjourned the case until Oct. 28 for a ruling on the bail application filed by Lukas and for DPP’s legal advice.

Earlier, the police prosecutor, Ayodele Adeosun, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on May 28, at 12.20 p.m., at No. 4, Aribena Site, Ijanikin area of Lagos.

He said that Lukas indecently assaulted the nine-year-old girl by inserting his fingers in her private part.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 135 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

crime

Anti-Bullet Charm Trial: Native Doctor In Police Net For Allegedly Killing Client

Published

2 weeks ago

September 3, 2024

Maritime First

Police in Edo have detained a teenager, a native doctor after his boast an Anti-Bullet proof charm failed, and his client sustained wounds which resulted in his death

The police detained the 19-year-old native doctor, Timothy Dauda, for allegedly shooting his client, Alex Ezekiel, to death during the “anti-bullet” charm trial.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Moses Yamu, confirmed the incident to the newsmen on Monday, saying that the incident happened on August 20 in Onumu Community, near Igara, Akoko Edo Local Government Area of the state.

He said the suspect was arrested by operatives from the Igarra Divisional Police Station in Akoko-Edo.

It was learnt that the suspect allegedly claimed to specialise in preparing charms against gunshots and machete cuts.

A source further highlighted that the deceased had visited the native doctor’s home to obtain the charm.

It said that “in a shocking turn of events”, Dauda attempted to test the efficacy of the charm by shooting the client with a gun.

The charm was said to have failed as he sustained fatal injuries.

“When he was rushed to a hospital in Igarra, he was pronounced dead by a medical doctor,” the source further said.

Meanwhile, the police spokesman said the suspect would face prosecution as soon as investigations were concluded.