Five individuals, including a bank manager have been remanded for allegedly attacking the server of Premium Trust Bank and stealing customers’ funds.
The accused persons are Matthew Adeniyi Damilola, the E-Payment Service Manager at the bank; Kehinde Odeyemi, a nursing mother with a four-month-old baby; Samson Latshin Dakup; Bolaji Omotosho Yinka; and Sunday Badeniyi Okunnola.
Appearing before Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, the defendants were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a six-count charge involving conspiracy, cybercrime, and unlawful access to a financial institution’s database.
Prosecuting counsel Zeenat B. Atiku informed the court that the alleged offences occurred between April and May 2025.
She stated that the defendants conspired with three individuals still at large—identified as Humble, Isa Ismaila, and Victor Joshua Ilemona (also known as “Oracle”).
According to Atiku, “Damilola unlawfully disclosed sensitive banking credentials, including the server IP address and domain information,” which facilitated the breach of Premium Trust Bank ’s internal systems.
The attack allegedly led to unauthorized financial gains amounting to $10,000.
The prosecution further alleged that the co-defendants attempted to compromise the bank’s internal network and obtained a Hewlett-Packard ProBook 440 G9 laptop (Serial No. SN#5CD2473N6G), “configured specifically to bypass established security protocols.”
The EFCC argued that the defendants’ actions contravened Sections 12(1)(b), 27, 28(1)(b)(c), and 28(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024, and are “punishable under Section 28(2)” of the same legislation.
All five defendants entered a plea of not guilty.
Following the pleas, the prosecution applied for a trial date and requested that the accused remain in custody. The court declined oral bail submissions by the defense, instructing that formal bail applications be made.
Justice Owoeye adjourned the matter to June 30, 2025, for trial and directed that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
However, he added that the defense “may seek an earlier trial date upon submission of their bail applications.”
