The trial of an alleged hacker, Ugochukwu Eze, who was arraigned before a Federal High Court Lagos, for allegedly hacking into SunTrust Bank’s sever and moved a whooping sum of over N800 million, has been fixed November 19, 2026.
Justice Friday Ogazi fixed the trial date after ruling on the defendants bail application.
The defendant was arraigned before the court by the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on August 6, 2026, over alleged offences bordering on conspiracy, hacking, cyber-fraud of N800 million, in a charge marked FHC/Lag/CR/539/2026.
The prosecutor, Michael Bajela had told the court that the defendant who is also known as Amazon, and others now at large committed the offences between 2023 and 2026.
Specifically, the defendant and his co-conspirators who were said to be at large of conspiring among themselves and unlawfully and seriously hindered the function of Suntrust Bank Plc’s computer system (server). and in the process fraudulently diverted over N800 million belonging to the bank.
The defendant was also alleged to have concealed and transferred various sums of money traced to the unlawful cyber-attacks on some financial institutions.
He was also accused of causing unauthorized access to critical National Financial information infrastructure.
The defendant’s alleged offences according to the prosecutor contravened sections 5; 6(1) and 8 of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2024. And Sections 10, 20 and 18(2)(D) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Meanwhile, the defendant had denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Based on his not guilty plea, Justice Ogazi remanded the defendant in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS).
However the defendant while being remanded by the court filed his bail application and prayed the court to admit him to bail on health ground and in the most liberal terms.
In response, the DSS vehemently opposed the application and prayed the court to refuse the bail application on the ground that the defendant was a ‘flight risk’, and among others.
Ruling on the bail application today, Justice Ogazi after considering all the arguments of parties and after citing plethoras of legal authorities, acceded to that defendant’s request and admitted him o bail in the sum of N150 million with two sureties in like sum.
Justice Ogazi also ordered that each of the sureties must be a landlord with landed property up to the valued N150 million, with evidence of three years tax payment.
The judge however ruled that one sureties could be a civil servant of Grade level 15 or it’s equivalent, either the Lagos State Civil Service or in the Civil Service of Federal Government of Nigeria or any agency belongs to any of the federal government. Adding that the civil servant shall be resident within Lagos state which is addressed to be verified by the court.
Justice Ogazi also ordered the defendant to surrender all his passports and other international travels documents in his possession to the court. Adding that the defendant is restrained from traveling outside nigeria without the prior order of the courts.
One of the counts against the defendant reads: “That you Ugochukwu Eze (a.k.a. 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 Plc, thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 8 of the cybercrime (prohibition, prevention etc.) Act, 2024.
