Police docks three over alleged fraud of N9.1m belonging to Lagos Speaker, Obasa
For allegedly hacking the Facebook account of the Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, and defrauded him of N9, 188, 100, three men were on Monday docked before a Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The three suspects, Frank Nwokobia, 27; Ezeoke Kanayochukwu, 25; and Godwin Essien, 28, were re-arraigned before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo.
They were arraigned on a five counts charge bordering on conspiracy, fraud, impersonation and identity theft, by the men of state Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, (SCIID), panti-Yaba, Lagos.
The trio were formally arraigned during the Court’s long vacation on the same counts charge, before Justice Chuka Obiozor.
However, the defendants’ case file was reassigned to Justice Oguntoyinbo, for re-arraignment, and for their pleas to be taken.
When the matter came up yesterday, the prosecutor, Mr. William Olu-Ologun, informed the court of the charge against the defendants, and pleaded with the court for the charge to be reread to the defendants, so that their pleas could be taken.
The three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, after it was read to them.
Consequently, their lawyers urged the court to admit their clients to bail in the most liberal terms.
Their bail applications were not opposed by the police.
Following the applications of the lawyers to the defendants, Justice Oguntoyinbo, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N5 million, with a surety each.
The surety, the judge ordered, must deposit title documents and the Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) of their landed property to the court’s Deputy Chief Registrar (DCR).
The judge also ordered that the surety’s official and residential addresses, as well as their phone numbers must be verified by the prosecutor. Adding that they must tendered before the court evidence of three years tax payment.
The trial has been adjourned till November 28.
According to prosecuting counsel, William Olu Ologun, the trio sometime in May, hacked Obasa’s Facebook account and retrieved information with which they withdrew N9.1million from his Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) Plc account.
Ologun said following Obasa’s complaint, the defendants were arrested by police at different locations in Delta State.
The offences, he added, were contrary to Sections 27(1)(b) and 22(2)(b)(ii) of the Cybercrimes Prohibition and Prevention Act, 2015 and punishable under same.
Peter Fowoyo
