Court sends bankers, others to prison for cybercrime in Lagos

The Federal High Court sitting in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State, on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, remanded two employees of Premium Trust Bank, Kehinde Odeyemi and Matthew Adeniyi Damilola, in a correctional centre.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the bankers alongside Samson Latshin Dakup, Bolaji Omotosho Yinka, and Sunday Badeniyi Okunola on a seven-count charge bordering on conspiracy to steal.

The defendants allegedly conspired to manipulate the server and domain credentials of the bank in a bid to gain unauthorised access to its database and steal depositors’ funds.

However, the planned fraudulent activity was averted by the EFCC.

One of the counts read: “That you, Kehinde Odeyemi, Samson Latshin Dakup, Bolaji Omotosho Yinka, Sunday Badeniyi Okunola, and Matthew Adeniyi Damilola, along with individuals identified as Humble (at large), Wasiu (at large), Isa Ismaila (at large) and another referred to as Victor Joshua Ilemona aka Oracle, (at large), conspired unlawfully between April and May 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, to manipulate the access code (this included the bank’s server IP and domain credentials) of Premium Trust Bank Limited in a bid to gain unauthorised access to the entire database of Premium Trust Bank Limited for the purpose of committing an offense to wit: stealing  from the bank’s funds, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 and 28 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (as amended, 2024), which is punishable under Section 28 (2) of the same Act.”

They pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them.

Court sends banker to prison for N2.4m cybercrime in Lagos

Following their pleas, the prosecution counsel, Zeenat Atiku, prayed for a trial date and the defendants’ remand in a correctional centre.

Counsel for the first defendant, Adeleke Adepoju, urged the court to admit his client to bail in the most liberal terms.

He stated that he didn’t have enough time to make a formal application.

Other counsel also sought to make oral applications for their clients.

The presiding judge, Justice Alexander Owoeye, however, refused the applications and ordered the lawyers to make formal bail applications before the court.

The judge ordered the first defendant to be remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre.

Other defendants were remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.

Justice Owoeye, therefore, adjourned the matter till June 30, 2025, for the commencement of trial.

The Star