Micheal Anan Onimisi, a suspected hacker, was charged on October 13, 2023, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Kaduna Zonal Command, with creating computer code to defraud First City Monument Bank Plc.
On Tuesday, the agency’s X page, formerly Twitter, posted a statement revealing this.
The claim that the suspect fraudulently withdrew N17,785,010.75k from the bank account and transferred money to his account was made in a petition that First City Monument Bank Plc filed on June 23, 2023, to the EFCC, Kaduna Zonal Command.
The suspect is suspected of creating computer programs with the code names “Bee-Leaf” and “Real-Eve” in order to breach the bank’s security.
He was charged with six counts that included elements of both internet fraud and money laundering.
“That you, Michael Anan Onimisi, did directly retain the total sum of N17, 785,010.75 (seventeen million, seven hundred and eighty-five thousand, ten thousand, and seventy-five naira and seventy-five kobo only), from First City Monument Bank Plc, which funds you knew forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 18(2)(d)of the Money Laundering Act.
The prosecutor, N. Salele, requested a trial date after the suspect’s six-count plea of not guilty at the time of arraignment.In light of the defendant’s plea, the prosecution’s attorney, N. Salele, requested a trial date and also urged the court to remand the defendant at a correctional facility before the trial started.
In the meantime, defense attorney Rabiu Mohammed informed the court that a bail application was pending. Salele argued against it and begged for more time to consider and reply to it.
Justice Aikawa then postponed the matter until October 19, 2023, for the hearing on the bail application, and December 6, 2023, for the start of the trial, after hearing both counsels’ arguments.
The statement continued, “He also ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Kaduna.”