An official of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Omotosho Adewunmi, has narrated to Justice Olubunmi O. Abike-Fadipe of a Lagos Special Offences Court in Ikeja, how an alleged bank hacker, Chris Ihebuzo, was arrested.
Led-in-evidence led by EFCC counsel, Mr. Franklin Ofoma, the witness told the court that EFCC received a petition from Access Bank complaining of viral video on social media wherein a hacker, Chris Ihebuzo, bragged about hacking the bank’s servers.
Ihebuzo claimed in the viral video that he gained access into the Access Bank database and extracted data of over 2,000 customers.
Ms Adewunmi, who is the second prosecution witness in the matter, told the court that when EFCC arrested Ihebuzo, the Commission recovered a laptop, 12 blank ATM cards, documents containing account numbers, phone numbers and Biometric Verification Number, BVN of customers.
She further told the court that, the defendant volunteered statement to the Commission under caution.
Subsequently, Mr. Ofoma submitted the materials to the court as evidence, which Justice Abike-Fadipe admitted.
The EFCC had in a seven-count-charge brought against the defendant alleged that sometime in August 2020 in Lagos, within the court’s jurisdiction, with intent to extort money from Access Bank Plc, knowingly sent an electronic mail to the management of Access Bank Plc., demanding money from them.
The defendant claimed that he had in his possession, Access Bank public liability company’s document, containing the phone numbers, bank account, NIN numbers, and biometrics verification numbers (BVN), of Access Bank customers.
His offences was said to have bordered on unauthorised access to computer material, intent to extort, intent to defraud, an unauthorised access to the bank’s customer data with intent to facilitate and extort money from the bank.
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The Commission said the offence was contrary to sections 278(1)&(2), 285 (1) and section 21(5) and 312 (1)(a) & 2 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State.
Also, contrary to sections 385(1), 386(1), 387(1), 388(1) and 389 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel, EFCC Operative, Ms Adewunmi, told the court that the Commission’s forensic expert gave her team, the defendant’s name and address.
She said the document received from Ihebuzo was exclusively for the bank.
Subsequently, the EFCC counsel asked for adjournment, while the defendant’s counsel told the court that he intended to bring two witnesses to testify for the defendant.
Thereafter, Justice Abike-Fadipe adjourned till Friday next week, for the continuation of trial.
Delta police restore sanity in Agbarho, arrest 11 suspected cultists, recover weapons
Sequel to the cult clash between Eiye and Black axe confraternity in Agbarho, Ughelli North LGA, which started on the 6/2/2022, which led to the death of five persons. The Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Ari Muhammed Ali, has directed the Command Anti-Cult Unit(CACU), Dragon Patrol Teams and Police Operatives from Agbarho
Division to proceed to the said town with a view to ensuring that sanity is restored in the Community.
Consequently, the DPO Agbarho Division, CSP Sam Ogwa, led the teams deployed on an intelligence-led operation, during which 11 suspected cultists, who actively participated in the cult clash that led to the death of five persons were arrested and two pump action guns, one cut-to-size locally-made gun, eight expanded cartridges and 10 rounds of live cartridges were recovered.
The situation has been brought under control and more patrol teams have been deployed to forestall any further breakdown of law and order in the community. Meanwhile, manhunt for other fleeing suspected cultists is ongoing.
The Commissioner of Police, while calling on members of the public to help with any useful information that could lead to the arrest of the other fleeing suspects, also urges parents and guardians to monitor, guide and caution their wards to desist from any cult-related activity, as the Command under his watch will not relent in arresting
anyone found wanting and ensuring that they are prosecuted accordingly.
He also warned that the Command is more than ever before determined to fulfil its core mandate, which is to protect lives and property, maintenance of law and order, among others, and as such, will not take it lightly with anybody who tries to cause mayhem of any kind in the state.
