Hobnob News – A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the remand of five individuals, including an e-payment manager at Premium Trust Bank and a nursing mother, over their alleged involvement in hacking the bank’s server.
The defendants—Matthew Damilola (the bank’s E-Payment Service Manager), Kehinde Odeyemi (a mother of a four-month-old baby), Samson Dakup, Bolaji Yinka, and Sunday Okunnola—were arraigned before Justice Alexander Owoeye by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, cybercrime, and illegal access to a secured network.
The EFCC alleged that the cyber intrusion occurred between April and May 2025, executed in collaboration with three accomplices—Humble, Isa Ismaila, and Victor Ilemona (a.k.a. Oracle)—who are currently on the run.
According to the prosecution, Damilola is accused of disclosing critical information, including the bank’s server IP and domain credentials, which enabled unauthorized access to the bank’s digital infrastructure. The breach reportedly resulted in an illicit gain of $10,000.
Further allegations suggest that the defendants attempted to intercept Premium Trust Bank’s internal network and acquired a Hewlett-Packard ProBook 440 G9 laptop (Serial No. SN#5CD2473N6G) that was allegedly pre-configured to override the bank’s security protocols.
The EFCC maintained that the defendants’ actions violate 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 legislation.
All five defendants pleaded not guilty during their arraignment. The prosecuting counsel thereafter requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the accused persons pending trial.
Justice Owoeye rejected the oral bail applications put forward by defense counsel, directing that proper written applications be filed. He ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody.
The case was adjourned to June 30, 2025, for trial, with the court noting that the defense may seek an earlier hearing date upon formal bail filing.
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