Men of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), of Lagos State Police Command, Panti-Yaba, have arraigned three men before a Federal High Court, Lagos, for allegedly defrauding the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Mudashiru Obasa, of the sum of N9.188 million.
The three men, Frank Nwokobia, 27, Ezeoke Kanayochukwu, 25, and Godwin Essien, 28, were arraigned before Justice Chuka Obiozor, on five counts bordering on conspiracy, impersonation, identity theft, and fraud.
The three defendants who were arrested at different locations in Delta State, according to the prosecutor, Barrister William Olu Ologun had sometimes in May 2017, hacked the Facebook account of the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, and retrieved several information which they used in withdrawing the sum of N9.188,100.00 million from his account domiciled with Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) Plc.
The prosecutor informed the court that the three defendants were arrested in Delta State, after the complainant, Honourable Obasa, petitioned the Police that his Facebook account had been hacked and that the sum of N9.188,100 million had been withdrawn from his account by unknown individuals.
He also stated that upon the arrest of the defendants, they voluntarily made statement to the Police.
The offences according to the prosecutor are contrary to sections 27(1)(b) and 22(2)(b)(ii) of Cybercrimes Prohibition and Prevention Act, 2015.
The three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
After their plea, their lawyer, Mr Ali Abba, urged the court to admit his clients to bail on liberal terms.
Ali told the court that his clients have credible sureties, and that they will always attend court for their trial.
Ruling on the bail application, Justice Obiozor, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of five million Naira each with one surety each.
The judge ordered that the surety who must be recommended by the defendants’ lawyer, must be a resident of Lagos State, with landed property and three year tax clearance.
The judge also stated that the landed property’s title documents and tax must be verified by the court’s Deputy Chief Registrar (DCR).
Justice Obiozor then ordered remand of the three defendants at the Ikoyi facility of the Nigerian Prison Service, pending the perfection of the bail conditions.