21st June, 2019
A businesswoman Wuraola Folashade Olukoye, 67, based in Odogbolu, Ogun State has been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate’s court for allegedly hacking into the account of a customer of First Bank Plc, Emefiele Ogbor, domiciled at the Agidingbi branch of the bank and fraudulently withdrew N16,200,000.
The DPO in charge of Lion Building Division, Lagos Island, Lagos ordered his men led by Inspector Chibuzor Nwafor to arrest the accused following a complaint by the management of First Bank through the Head of the Department of Forensic Auditors, Mr. Solomon Akhanolu.
The accused was charged before the Igbosere Magistrate’s Court, Lagos on a five-count charge of felony, to wit, fraud and fraudulent diversion.
Police counsel George Nwosu told the court in charge No B/33/2019, that the accused committed the offence between 16 October and 31 December, 2018 at First Bank Plc, Agidingbi Branch, Lagos.
Nwosu informed the court that the accused fraudulently hacked into the account of a customer of the bank, Emefiele Ogbor with account No 3014419974 to fraudulently withdrew N16,200,000 and transfer same to her First Bank, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Union Bank and Sterling Bank accounts from where she allegedly withdrew all the money and converted it to her use.
Nwosu said that when the management of First Bank uncovered the alleged fraud, they blocked the accused account in the bank and that nemesis caught up with her when she visited the bank to withdraw money from her account. She was arrested.
He said the offences the accused committed were punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the alleged offence in the open court and Chief Magistrate Folashade Boloku granted her bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Boloku adjourned the case till 24 June, 2019 for mention and ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Kirikiri Prison, Apapa Lagos till she perfected the bail conditions.