The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, yesterday arraigned two men before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, over the alleged unlawful supply of bank access credentials.
The defendants, Gideon Bakpa Aghogho and Oscar Ebere Chukwuebuka, were arraigned alongside a third suspect, identified as Scott, who is at large, before Justice F.N. Ogazi.
They face an eight-count charge on the alleged unlawful supply of access credentials to a bank database.
The charges were brought under Sections 27 and 28(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.
The EFCC alleged that between July 24 and 26 this year, the defendants conspired to supply Aghogho’s access code to the bank system through a local administrative credential known as ITSD.
According to the prosecution, the credentials,which could grant access to the bank’s Virtual Center Platform, were allegedly supplied to facilitate the commission of an offence.
In another count, the commission alleged that Aghogho, between April and May, last year, without authorisation disclosed access credentials, including the bank’s server IP and domain credentials, to gain access to a bank’s database.
The prosecution further alleged that the disclosure was made in exchange for $15,000.
Aghogho pleaded not guilty to the charges, while Chukwuebuka pleaded guilty when the charges were read to them.
Following Aghogho’s plea, prosecution counsel, Bilkisu Buhari, asked the court to fix a date for trial and sought an order remanding him in a correctional facility.
In respect of Chukwuebuka, the prosecution asked the court to allow it to review the facts of the case following his guilty plea.
Justice Ogazi adjourned the matter until August 27, this year, for a review of the facts and other proceedings.
The judge also ordered that the defendants be remanded in a correctional centre pending the next hearing.
