THE State
Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, SCIID, Panti, Yaba, of the
Lagos State Police Command has arraigned three men before a Federal High Cour
t
sitting in Lagos, for allegedly defrauding the Speaker of Lagos State House of
Assembly, Mr. Mudashiru Obasa, of N9.188 million.
The three
men, Frank Nwokobia, 27; Ezeoke Kanayochukwu, 25, and Godwin Essien, 28, were
arraigned before Justice Chuka Obiozor, on a five-count charges of conspiracy,
impersonation, identity theft and fraud.
The defendants, who were arrested at
different locations in Delta State, according to the prosecutor, William
Ologun, had sometimes in May hacked the Facebook account of the Speaker of
Lagos State House of Assembly, and retrieved several information which they
used in withdrawing N9.188 million from his account.
Arrested in Delta
The
prosecutor informed the court that the defendants were arrested in Delta State,
after the complainant, Obasa, petitioned the Police that his Facebook account
had been hacked and that N9.188 million had been withdrawn from his account by
unknown individuals. The offences, according to the prosecutor, are contrary to
Sections 27(1)(b) and 22(2)(b)(ii) of Cybercrimes Prohibition and Prevention
Act, 2015. ‘Not guilty’ The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, after
which their lawyer, Mr. Ali Abba, prayed the court to admit his clients bail in
liberal terms. Ruling in the bail application, trial judge, Justice Obiozor,
admitted the defendants to N5 million bail with one surety each. The judge
ordered that the sureties, who must be recommended by the defendants’ lawyer,
must be residents of Lagos State, with landed property and three year tax. The
judge also stated that the landed property title documents and tax must be
verified by the court’s Deputy Chief Registrar. The court also ordered that the
three defendants be remanded at the Ikoyi facility of Nigerian Prison Service,
pending the perfection of the bail conditions.
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