The Kaduna zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dragged five men to Kaduna State High Court for alleged criminal conspiracy and attempt to defraud a new generation bank of 466 million naira.
The defendants; Bashir Abdullahi Mohammed, Oche Ogenyi, Adefila Taofiq Kayode, Rabiu Aliko Lawan and Mmadu Mathew Onyekachi were said to have hacked and manipulated the application of one of the new generation banks in the country, by increasing the balance of an account domiciled with the bank from N 781,000 (Seven hundred and eighty one thousand) to 466 million naira.
Charge sheet of case numbered: KDH/KD/EFCC 42019 read that; “That you Bashir Abdullahi Mohammed (m), Oche Ogenyi (m), AdefilaTaofiq Kayode (m), Rabiu Aliko Lawan (m), Mmadu Mathew Onyekachi(m) and others now at large, sometime in 2018 in Kaduna within the Kaduna Judicial Division of the High Court, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit; attempt to commit theft of a sum of N466,000,000 (Four hundred and sixty six million naira) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 58(1) of the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State 2017 and punishable under Section 59 (1) of the same Law.
“COUNT 2: That you Bashir Abdullahi Mohammed (m), Oche Ogenyi (m), Adefila Taofiq Kayode (m), Rabiu Aliko Lawan (m), Mmadu Mathew Onyekachi
(m) and others now at large, sometime in 2018 in Kaduna within the Kaduna Judicial Division of the High Court attempted to commit theft of a sum of N466,000,000 (Four hundred and sixty-six million naira), belonging to a Nigerian bank.
A source close to EFCC told The Nation that, the commission had arrested a total of eight suspects in connection to the crime.
According to the source, with the prompt intervention of the Commission, the suspects who are allegedly seen to be in connection with the case while in the heat of their game were arrested in Kaduna, Abuja and Lagos respectively.
Meanwhile, when the case came up before Justice Mohammed Tukur of Kaduna State High Court 5 on Wednesday, Counsels to the defendants urged the court to grant them bail, arguing that, the offences they were being accused of were ordinarily bailable.
Meanwhile, the prosecuting counsel, Onyeka Ekweozor, urged the court discard the bail applications of the defence counsels. He argued that, though the offences were bailable, granting the defendants bail was capable of jeopardizing the case.
He said, the defendants operate as a syndicate, some of whom were at large. And that, granting them bail will make it difficult to apprehend others.
The EFCC lawyer also argued that, the defendants don’t have fixed addresses, as they were arrested at various locations like hotel and airport, among others. “This is even as the crimes they are charged for are still continuing.”
But, counsel to the first defendant, Abubakar A. Ashat, who led other defendants’ counsels in oral bail application for their clients said, arguments of the prosecuting counsel were so watery, as the offences in question were ordinarily bailable.
On the addresses of his clients and other defendants, Ashat said, “the valid address of my client and others are in their statements, and the prosecuting counsel has not told this court that, those addresses are not valid. So, the argument on their addresses does not hold water. And let say the addresses are even not valid, the sureties are going to stand for them and ensure they appear in court anytime the case comes up.” He argued.
The Judge who earlier read the two count charges to the defendants, who pleaded not guilty adjourned the case till 21st of January, for hearing of the bail applications.
Justice Mohammed Tukur, however, ruled that the five defendants be remanded in EFCC custody till the next adjourned date.