EFCC Arraigns Access Bank Hacker

 

By Tosin Olatokunbo

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,  EFCC says Chris Ihebuzo, who hacked into Access Bank Plc system two years ago has been completely  neutralised.  Adewunmi Omotosho, an invesigator with the EFCC told an an Ikeja Special Offences Court that the hacker no longer poses a threat.

Omotosho said Ihebuzo was apprehended by the anti-graft agency after he claimed in a viral video  that he has  gained access into the commercial  bank’s database and extracted data of over 2,000 customers.

According to the  ews Agency of Nigeria,  NAN, the EFCC investigator when led in evidence by EFCC Prosecuting Counsel, Franklin Ofoma, informed the court that the commission swung into action as soon as it received  a petition from Access Bank Plc, complaining about the viral video on social media.

Adewunmi, the second prosecution witness, said that when EFCC apprehended Ihebuzo, they recovered an HP Laptop, 12 blank ATM Master Cards, documents containing account numbers, phone numbers and Biometric Verification Number (BVN) of customers.

Ofoma submitted the materials to court while urging the judge to admit them into evidence. Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe thereafter admitted all the seized materials and documents as exhibits.

Adewunmi in her evidence told the court that a forensic expert working in EFCC had given her team, the defendant’s name and address.

She said that all the documents seized from Ihebuzo were exclusively for the bank.

The EFCC investigator further told the court that after his arrest, the defendant volunteered his statement to the commission under caution.

NAN reports that Ihebuzo is facing a seven-count charge of stealing, demanding property by written threats, attempting to obtain property by false pretence and unauthorised access to computer material.

Other charges are: unauthorised access with intent to commit and facilitate the commission of further offences and unauthorised modification of computer materials.

The EFCC further alleged that the defendant had sometime in August 2020 in Lagos with an intent to extort money from Access Bank Plc, knowingly sent an electronic mail to the bank’s management to demand money.

The defendant had claimed that he had in his possession, Access Bank Public Liability Company’s documents, containing the phone numbers, bank accounts, NIN numbers, and Biometrics Verification Numbers (BVN) of the bank’s customers.

The offences are contrary to Sections 21(5), 278(1) and (2), 285 (1), 312 (1)(a) and (2),385(1), 386(1), 387(1), 388(1) and 389 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011.

Justice Abike-Fadipe adjourned until Feb. 18 for continuation of trial.

Ihebuzo, was arrested in September 2020 in Benin City, Edo State, following a petition from the Herbert Wigwe- led Access Bank.