Suspected Bank Hacker Remanded Over Alleged ₦800 Million Fraud

A Federal High Court in Lagos has remanded a 47-year-old man, Ugochukwu Eze, also known as "Amazon," over allegations that he hacked into the computer system of Suntrust Bank Plc and diverted more than ₦800 million into multiple accounts.

Eze was arraigned on Thursday by the Department of State Services (DSS) before Justice Friday Ogazi on charges bordering on cybercrime, money laundering, and unlawful access to critical financial infrastructure.

According to the prosecution, the defendant and several accomplices who are still at large allegedly carried out the cyberattack between 2023 and 2026, disrupting the bank's computer system and fraudulently transferring over ₦800 million.

The DSS also accused Eze of concealing and transferring proceeds of the alleged cybercrime and unlawfully accessing sensitive national financial information.

However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Following his plea, the prosecution requested that the court remand him pending trial. Defence counsel informed the court that a bail application had already been filed, noting that Eze had spent more than a month in DSS custody.

Justice Ogazi adjourned the case until August 24, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that the defendant remain in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service until then.

The offences are said to violate provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2024, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. The case will continue when the court reconvenes later this month.

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