A 47-year-old man, Ugochukwu Eze, also known as “Amazon”, was on Thursday arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly hacking into the computer system of SunTrust Bank Plc and diverting more than N800 million.
Eze was arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS) on charges bordering on cybercrime, conspiracy and money laundering.
The prosecution counsel, Mr M. Bajela, told the court that the defendant and others still at large allegedly conspired between 2023 and 2026 to unlawfully interfere with the computer system of SunTrust Bank.
According to the prosecution, the alleged cyberattack enabled the conspirators to fraudulently divert more than N800 million belonging to the bank into several accounts domiciled in other financial institutions.
The DSS also accused Eze of concealing and transferring various sums of money allegedly traced to the unlawful cyberattacks to accounts in other financial institutions.
The prosecution said the alleged offences contravened Sections 5, 6(1) and 8 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2024, as well as Sections 10, 20 and 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Eze pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following his plea, Bajela urged the court to adjourn the matter for trial and remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending the commencement of trial.
However, E. Afrogha, counsel to the defendant, told the court that she had filed an application seeking bail for her client.
Afrogha also informed the court that Eze had been in DSS custody for more than one month.
In response, Bajela said the prosecution had not been served with the bail application, although its witnesses were ready to testify.
Justice Friday Ogazi, who presided over the matter, subsequently adjourned the case until Aug. 24, 2026, for hearing of the bail application.
The judge also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending the determination of the bail application.
One of the counts against Eze reads: “That you UGOCHUKWU EZE (AKA AMAZON) (M) (47 YEARS) sometime between 2023 and 2026 in Lagos, and other places within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, unlawfully seriously hindered the function of SunTrust Bank Plc’s computer system, and in the process fraudulently diverted over N800,000,000.00 (Eight Hundred Million Naira) belonging to the said SunTrust Bank.”
The prosecution said the alleged act constituted an offence punishable under Section 8 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2024.
