A 47-year-old man, Ugochukwu Eze, popularly known as “Amazon,” was on Thursday arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos over allegations that he hacked into the server of SunTrust Bank Plc and fraudulently diverted over ₦800 million.
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Eze was arraigned before Justice Friday Ogazi by the Department of State Services on a five-count charge bordering on cybercrime, unauthorised access to critical financial infrastructure and money laundering.
Prosecution counsel, Muhammed Bajela, told the court that the defendant and others now at large allegedly conspired between 2023 and 2026 to unlawfully interfere with the bank’s computer system, leading to the diversion of more than ₦800 million belonging to SunTrust Bank.
The prosecution further alleged that Eze concealed and transferred various sums of money linked to the alleged cyberattacks through financial institutions and unlawfully gained access to critical national financial information infrastructure.
According to the SSS, the alleged offences contravene Sections 5, 6(1) and 8 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2024, as well as Sections 10, 20 and 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
One of the counts alleged that Eze, sometime between 2023 and 2026 in Lagos and other places within the jurisdiction of the court, unlawfully hindered the operation of SunTrust Bank Plc’s computer system and, in the process, fraudulently diverted over ₦800 million belonging to the bank.
The charge stated that the offence is punishable under Section 8 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2024.
When the charges were read to him, the defendant pleaded not guilty.
Following his plea, the prosecutor urged the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending the determination of the case.
However, defence counsel, Ezekiel Afrogha, informed the court that a bail application had already been filed on behalf of the defendant. He added that Eze had been in SSS custody for over one month.
Responding, the prosecutor said he had not been served with the bail application, but noted that the prosecution’s witnesses were available and ready to proceed.
After hearing both parties, Justice Ogazi adjourned the matter until August 24, 2026, for hearing of the bail application.
The judge also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending the hearing and determination of his bail request.
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