$25,000 Cyber Fraud: Court Remands FCMB Administrator, Ex-Staff

A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the remand of a Service Administrator with First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Plc, Gideon Bakpa Aghogho, and a former employee, Oscar Ebere Chukwuebuka, over an alleged $25,000 server hack and database breach.

Justice Friday Ogazi ordered the duo to be remanded at a facility of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), following their arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges bordering on conspiracy, cybercrime, and money laundering.

Prosecuting Counsel Bilikisu Buhari-Bala informed the court that the Defendants, alongside an accomplice identified as Scott who remains at large, committed the offences between July 24 and July 26, 2026. According to the EFCC, Aghogho unlawfully released his local Administrative Credential access code to Chukwuebuka, enabling unauthorised access to FCMB’s Virtual Centre Platform and server IP credentials, to siphon $25,000.

The prosecution further disclosed that upon completing the illicit operation, Aghogho received $2,000 while Chukwuebuka was rewarded with $400. The alleged acts violate several provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024), as well as the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

During the arraignment, the first Defendant, Aghogho, pleaded not guilty to the charges. Conversely, the second Defendant, Chukwuebuka, admitted to the crimes and entered a guilty plea before the court.

Defence Counsel, N. Egah and Livingstone Madu advised the court of their clients’ intention to pursue a plea bargain agreement. However, the EFCC Prosecutor denied knowledge of any formal plea bargain proposal from the defence team.

Justice Ogazi adjourned the matter to August 27, 2026, for a review of the facts regarding the second Defendant’s guilty plea, and ordered that both Defendants be kept in custody pending the next court date.