The case has been rescheduled to September 9, 2026, as both the prosecution and defence await the finalisation of a potential plea bargain agreement.
Justice Friday Ogazi fixed the new date on Thursday after the defendants' lawyers informed the court that negotiations with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over a plea deal were still in progress.
The defendants, Gideon Bakpa Aghogho, a Service Administrator at FCMB, and Oscar Ebere Chukwuebuka, a former staff member of the bank, were first arraigned on August 19.
They face a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, unauthorised access to computer systems, cybercrimes, and money laundering.
According to the EFCC prosecutor, Mrs Bilikisu Buhari-Bala, the alleged offences occurred between July 24 and 26, 2026.
The prosecution claims that Aghogho, who had privileged access to the bank’s server, unlawfully released his access code to Chukwuebuka and an accomplice, Scott (who is currently at large).
The indictment alleges that Aghogho used his Local Administrative Credential (ITSD) to grant access to FCMB’s Virtual Centre Platform, which allegedly led to the removal of $25,000.
The prosecution further detailed the financial trail, stating that Aghogho received $2,000 for his role in the scheme, while Chukwuebuka benefited by $400.
During the arraignment, Aghogho pleaded not guilty to the charges, while his co-defendant, Chukwuebuka, entered a guilty plea.
Both were initially remanded in custody pending the determination of their bail applications.
However, the case took a procedural turn when defence counsel, N. Egah and Livingstone Madu, informed the court that they were exploring a plea bargain agreement with the EFCC, a development that the prosecution initially denied.
At Thursday’s resumed hearing, the substantive prosecutor was absent due to the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference but was represented by Favour Orilade.
While Orilade urged the court to proceed with the conviction of the second defendant, who had already pleaded guilty, the defence counsel requested more time to ascertain the status of the plea bargain negotiations.
The defendants' actions are said to violate several provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024) and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The charges against the defendants include;
Charges include: conspiracy to supply access codes to the FCMB Virtual Centre Platform without authority, unauthorised disclosure of server credentials for financial gain ($15,000 and $10,000 respectively), and retention of stolen proceeds ($2,000 and $400 respectively) believed to be proceeds of unlawful acts.
Justice Ogazi adjourned the matter to September 9, 2026, for further proceedings.
#FCMB #CyberCrime #EFCC #NigeriaNews #FraudAlert #BankingSecurity #LagosCourt #TechCrime #NigerianLaw
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