By Ayo Ayodele
A 47-year-old man, Ugochukwu Eze, has been arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos over the alleged hacking of SunTrust Bank Nigeria Limited’s computer system and the diversion of more than N800 million.
The suspect, also known as “Amazon,” was brought before Justice Friday Ogazi on Thursday on charges bordering on cybercrime, conspiracy and money laundering.
According to the DSS, Eze and other suspects still at large allegedly conspired between 2023 and 2026 to unlawfully compromise the bank’s computer server, disrupt its operations and divert over N800 million into accounts held in other financial institutions.
The prosecution further alleged that the defendant concealed and transferred proceeds of the alleged cyberattack through multiple bank accounts in violation of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2024, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Eze pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Following his plea, prosecution counsel M. Bajela requested a trial date and asked the court to remand the defendant pending trial.
Defence counsel E. Afrogha informed the court that a bail application had already been filed, noting that her client had spent more than one month in DSS custody. However, the prosecution said it had not yet been served with the application.
Justice Ogazi adjourned the case until August 24, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service until then.
The charges allege that Eze unlawfully hindered the operations of SunTrust Bank’s computer system and fraudulently diverted more than N800 million, offences punishable under the Cybercrimes Act, 2024.