32-Year-Old Man Charged With N3million Internet Fraud

The police on Wednesday arraigned a 32-year-old man, Lawal Lateef, in a Grade 1 Area Court, Kado, Abuja, charged with joint act and cheating. 

The accused lives at No. 1 Ojo Giwa Street, Lagos State. The prosecutor, Insp. Emmanuel Ibrahim, told the court that the matter was reported by one Jerry Peter of Ikeja, Lagos State, at Utako Police Station, Abuja, on April 29. Ibrahim said that the accused allegedly hacked into Peter’s bank account and transferred the sum of N3 million. 

He added that the accused went to a First Bank Plc branch to transfer the money to another account and in the process he was arrested, while other accomplices were still at large. 

The prosecutor said the offences contravened sections 79 and 322 of the Penal Code. However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges, saying that the money was his and was to be used for business. 

The judge, Abubakar Sadiq, then granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 with a surety in like sum. Sadiq said the surety must be a land owner within the court’s jurisdiction and adjourned hearing in the case until June 15.