EFCC Arraigns Bankers, 3 Others Over Alleged Cybercrime In Lagos

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned two employees of Premium Trust Bank and three other individuals before the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, over an alleged attempt to fraudulently access the bank’s database to steal depositors’ funds.

The accused bank staff, Kehinde Odeyemi and Matthew Adeniyi Damilola, were arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the EFCC, alongside Samson Latshin Dakup, Bolaji Omotosho Yinka, and Sunday Badeniyi Okunola.

They were facing a seven-count charge bordering on conspiracy to steal.

According to the EFCC, the defendants allegedly conspired to manipulate the server and domain credentials of Premium Trust Bank in an attempt to gain unauthorised access to its database.

The Commission stated that the suspected cyberattack was thwarted before any funds were stolen.

“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,” the statement read in part.

All five defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them before Justice Alexander Owoeye.

Following their pleas, the prosecuting counsel, Zeenat B. Atiku, requested a date for trial and urged the court to remand the defendants in a Correctional Centre.

Counsel to the first defendant, Adeleke Adepoju, pleaded with the court to grant his client bail in liberal terms, citing insufficient time to prepare a formal bail application.

Other defense counsels also made oral applications for bail for their clients.

However, Justice Owoeye declined the oral applications and instructed all counsels to file formal bail applications before the court.

The judge ordered that the first defendant, Kehinde Odeyemi, be remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre, while the second, third, fourth, and fifth defendants were to be held at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.

The case was subsequently adjourned to June 30, 2025, for the commencement of trial.