By Uzoma Akobundu
Four persons have been sent to prison by the court in Lagos for hacking into the data base of lender new generation commercial bank, First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and making away with almost a whooping N1 billion.
The thieves were able to inflict the harm on the bank through its data base in a most incredible fraudulent transaction.
The suspects were named as Gideo Olatimeyin (33), Osita Martyns (37), Daramola Samuel Akanji (23) and Abiodun Aina (38).
A a deterrent, a Lagos Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting at Igbosere on Wednesday sent the four persons believed to have perfected the fraud to prison custody on remand, pending when they will meet the court’s bail conditions.
They fraudsters were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Folashade Botoku by operatives of the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police (SFU) on four counts bordering on conspiracy and stealing.
The prosecution had accused them of conspiring “to steal and effect unauthorised modification of bank’s computer data by increasing the transaction limit to facilitate theft of the funds.”
The charge reads:
“That you, Gideo Olatimeyin M, Osita Martyns M, Daramola Samuel Akanji M and Abiodun Aina M and others at large on March 10, 2018 at Lagos, at the Lagos Magisterial district, did conspire amongst yourself, did steal the sum of #900,775,757.47 property of various customers of the bank by transferring the funds from their FCMB accounts to various different accounts outside the bank via POS and ATM.”
They were also said to have on same date and place with intent to defraud, “gained access link to the debit card platform and profile of FCMB bank through the profile of a contact centre staff and effect unauthorised modification of the bank computer data by increasing the transaction withdrawal limit.”
Although they pleaded not guilty to the charge, Magistrate Botoku ruled that they be remanded in prison but granted them bail in the sum N20million each with a condition that one of the surety must be a monarch.