A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Monday arraigned an e-payment service manager with Premium Trust Bank Limited, Matthew Adeniyi Damilola, and four other individuals over their alleged involvement in a sophisticated cyberattack on the bank’s internal server.
The defendants, Damilola, Kehinde Odeyemi (a nursing mother of a four-month-old baby), Samson Latshin Dakup, Bolaji Omotosho Yinka, and Sunday Badeniyi Okunnola, were docked before Justice Alexander Owoeye on a six-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
They are accused of conspiracy, cybercrime, unlawful access to a protected database, and possession of devices designed to override security systems.
Prosecuting counsel, Zeenat Atiku, told the court that the alleged cybercrime ring operated between April and May 2025, during which time the group conspired with three others, identified only as Humble, Isa Ismaila, and Victor Joshua Ilemona a.k.a. "Oracle", who are currently at large.
Central to the EFCC’s case is the role allegedly played by Damilola, the bank’s internal e-payment manager, who is accused of betraying his position of trust by disclosing confidential access credentials to the bank’s server infrastructure.
The data breach, according to Atiku, included sensitive information such as the bank’s server IP and domain login credentials.
The breach, the EFCC alleged, enabled the accused group to illegally access the bank’s database for financial gain amounting to $10,000.
The court was told that other defendants acted on the insider information to procure and deploy technical tools designed to bypass Premium Trust Bank’s digital security layers.
Among the items allegedly recovered during the investigation was a Hewlett-Packard ProBook 440 G9 laptop, serial number SN#5CD2473N6G, said to have been customised for hacking purposes.
Also mentioned was an “eagle flash drive” — a device allegedly programmed to compromise network defences.
According to the charge sheet, the defendants are alleged to have, disclosed and manipulated secured access codes to Premium Trust Bank’s server; procured and configured devices for the purpose of unauthorised access; attempted to intercept and control the bank’s database network; and conspired with persons still at large to execute the cyber-intrusion.
Atiku told the court the offences contravened sections 12(1)(b), 27, 28(1)(b)(c), and 28(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024), and are punishable under Section 28(2) of the same law.
But the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following the plea, Atiku urged the court to fix a date for trial and requested that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) pending further proceedings.
However, counsel for the defendants attempted to orally move for bail, citing various personal grounds, including Odeyemi’s status as a nursing mother.
Justice Owoeye, however, declined the oral request and advised all counsel to file formal bail applications, promising to consider them promptly upon receipt.
The case was subsequently adjourned to June 30, 2025, for the commencement of trial.
The judge also advised defence counsel that they may apply for an abridgement of the trial date should their bail applications be ready earlier.
In ordering the remand of the five defendants, Justice Owoeye stressed the importance of due process and assured all parties of a fair trial.
The charge sheets, partially read out in court, outlined the specific offences each defendant is accused of.
In one of the counts, Damilola was charged with knowingly and unlawfully disclosing Premium Trust Bank’s access code for financial benefit, an action the prosecution said enabled unauthorised entry into the bank’s internal systems.
The others were accused of aiding the operation by deploying technical devices and attempting to intercept the bank’s digital communications.
In another charge, the accused allegedly conspired to use the illegally acquired credentials to access Premium Trust Bank’s funds.
Though the prosecution did not specify the total amount targeted, the charge mentioned that the access was gained “to commit an offence to wit: stealing.”
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