Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has adjourned till June 30, 2025, for the commencement of trial in a case involving two employees of a commercial bank and three others, who are facing a seven-count charge bordering on conspiracy.
The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) this week arraigned Kehinde Odeyemi and Matthew Adeniyi Damilola—both employees of Premium Trust Bank—before the court.
They were arraigned alongside Samson Latshin Dakup, Bolaji Omotosho Yinka, and Sunday Badeniyi Okunola, according to a post on the Commission’s official X handle.
The EFCC alleges that the defendants conspired to manipulate the bank’s server and domain credentials in a bid to gain unauthorized access to its database and steal depositors’ funds. However, the Commission thwarted the attempted cyber fraud.
One of the charges reads: “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 one 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—including the bank’s server IP and domain credentials—of Premium Trust Bank Limited, in a bid to gain unauthorized access to its entire database for the purpose of stealing funds. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 27 and 28(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024), punishable under Section 28(2) of the same Act.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
Following their pleas, prosecution counsel Zeenat B. Atiku requested a trial date and the remand of the defendants in a Correctional Centre.
Counsel to the first defendant, Adeleke Adepoju, appealed to the court to admit his client to bail in the most liberal terms, citing insufficient time to file a formal application. Other defence counsels also sought oral bail applications.
Justice Owoeye declined the oral applications and directed that formal bail applications be submitted.
The court ordered the remand of the first defendant at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre, while the second, third, fourth, and fifth defendants were remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.
