EFCC Arraigns Bankers For Allegedly Tampering With Bank Server To Steal Customers’ Deposits

The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Awolowo, on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, brought Kehinde Odeyemi and Matthew Adeniyi Damilola, both employees of Premium Trust Bank, before Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.

They were charged alongside Samson Latshin Dakup, Bolaji Omotosho Yinka, and Sunday Badeniyi Okunola on a seven-count charge related to conspiracy to commit theft.

The accused allegedly collaborated to tamper with the bank’s server and domain credentials in an attempt to gain unauthorized access to its database and siphon depositors’ funds.

The planned fraudulent scheme was, however, thwarted by the Commission.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Kehinde Odeyemi, Samson Latshin Dakup, Bolaji Omotosho Yinka, Sunday Badeniyi Okunola, and Matthew Adeniyi Damilola, along with individuals identified as Humble (at large), Wasiu (at large), Isa Ismaila (at large) and another referred to as Victor Joshua Ilemona aka Oracle, (at large), conspired unlawfully between April and May 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, to manipulate the access code (this included the bank’s server IP and domain credentials) of Premium Trust Bank Limited in a bid to gain unauthorised access to the entire database of Premium Trust Bank Limited for the purpose of committing an offense to wit: stealing from the bank’s funds, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 and 28 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (as amended, 2024), which is punishable under Section 28 (2) of the same Act.”

They pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them.

In light of their pleas, prosecution counsel Zeenat B. Atiku requested a trial date and the remand of the defendants in a Correctional Centre.

Counsel to the first defendant, Adeleke Adepoju, appealed to the court to grant his client bail on the most lenient terms, noting that he lacked sufficient time to file a formal application.

Other counsel also attempted to make oral bail applications for their clients.
Justice Owoeye, however, rejected the applications and directed the counsel to submit formal bail applications to the court.

The judge ordered the first defendant to be remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre, while the second, third, fourth, and fifth defendants were ordered remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli