Court Grants N50M Bail To Mtn Hackers In Alleged N1.9Bn Fraud

Wale Igbintade

Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Lagos granted a bail sum of N50 million to the alleged fraudsters accused of defrauding MTN Nigeria Communication of N1.9 billion.

The defendants filed two separate bail applications, which were heard by the trial judge.

Justice Aluko ordered the defendants to provide two sureties each. One of the sureties must be a civil servant in the federal or Lagos State employment, with a grade level of 14 and above. The second surety must be a landed property owner within the court’s jurisdiction and provide evidence of ownership and an affidavit of means.

The civil servant must submit a reference letter from their place of work and a letter of the last promotion. The defendants are also required to submit two recent passport photographs to the court registrar.

Justice Aluko instructed the prosecution to verify all the documents submitted by the sureties, including their residential addresses.

The court ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) until their bail conditions are fulfilled.

Earlier, the Police Special Fraud Unit had arraigned Timothy Fashina Oluwabukola and Anthony Imonina Odemerho for allegedly hacking into MTN’s web-based platform and stealing N1.9 billion worth of airtime and data. The defendants face multiple charges, including conspiracy, unauthorized access, and unlawful conversion.

The prosecutor, Justine Enang, stated that the defendants and others at large conspired to gain unauthorized access to MTN’s computer system, fraudulently obtaining data and causing financial loss to the company. Enang added that their actions were in violation of the Cybercrime Act and Money Laundering Act.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, and their defense lawyer informed the court that bail applications had been filed.

The prosecutor confirmed receiving the bail applications but noted the timing of the service. He requested a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded in custody until the case is resolved.

The judge granted bail to the defendants while stipulating the bail conditions, including the bail sum and the requirements of the sureties. The defendants await the fulfillment of their bail conditions while being held by the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS).