Suntrust Bank logo Photo: Inshot
By Toyin Williams
Suntrust Bank is in the news over the alleged hacking of the Bank’s computer system and diversion of more than N800m.
Based on this development, a Federal High Court has ordered the remandof Ugochukwu Eze, popularly known as “Amazon,” over alleged hacking of the Bank’s computer system.
Eze was arraigned on Thursday in Lagos before Justice Friday Ogazi by the Department of State Services on charges bordering on cybercrime, money laundering and unauthorised interference with a financial institution’s computer system.
The DSS, through its counsel, M. Bajela, alleged that Eze and other suspects still at large conspired between 2023 and 2026 to unlawfully gain access to the bank’s computer infrastructure and divert funds belonging to the financial institution into different accounts.
The prosecution further accused the defendant of concealing and transferring funds allegedly linked to cyberattacks on financial institutions, as well as unlawfully accessing critical national financial information infrastructure.
The alleged offences, according to the prosecution, violate provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2024, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. Eze pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Following his plea, Bajela urged the court to remand the defendant and fix a date for trial, informing the court that the prosecution was prepared to call its witnesses.
However, counsel for Eze, E. Afrogha, told the court that a bail application had already been filed. He also informed the judge that his client had spent more than one month in DSS custody.
The prosecution opposed the immediate consideration of the application, stating that it had not been served with the bail request.
After hearing the submissions, Justice Ogazi adjourned the case until August 24 for the hearing of the defendant’s bail application.
The judge ordered that Eze be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending the determination of his bail application.
One of the charges alleged that Eze, between 2023 and 2026 in Lagos and other locations within the court’s jurisdiction, unlawfully interfered with the computer system of Suntrust Bank and, in the process, fraudulently diverted more than N800m belonging to the bank.
