FRAUDSTERS HACK INTO FCMB, STEAL N1 BILLION CUSTOMERS FUND

LAGOS, Nigeria – A Lagos Magistrate Court sitting in Igbosere, today ordered four men to be remanded in prison custody for allegedly hacking and stealing about N1 billion from First City Monument Bank (FCMB).Magistrate Folashade Botoku ordered their remand following their arraignment on four count charge by the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police, SFU.

The suspect are; Gideo Olatimeyin 33, Osita Martyns 37, Daramola Samuel Akanji 23 and Abiodun Aina 38 years old.They were alleged to have conspired to steal and effect unauthorised modification of bank’s computer data by increasing the transaction limit to facilitate theft of the funds.

The offence is punishable under section 287(9)(c), 390,411 and 388 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State,2015. They pleaded not guilty to all the four count charges.

Part of the charge read:

“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 conspired 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.

Also, the police alleged that the defendants on same date and place with intent to defrauded, did gain access link to the debit card platform and profile of FCMB bank through the profile of a contact center staff and effect unauthorised modification of the bank computer data by increasing the transaction withdrawal limit.

However, Magistrate Botoku therefore granted them bail in the sum #20 million each, ordered that one of the surety must be a traditional ruler. She therefore order defendants to be remanded in Kirikiri prison custody pending perfection of their bail condition.