A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the remand of a Service Administrator with First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Plc, Gideon Bakpa Aghogho, and a former employee of the bank, Oscar Ebere Chukwuebuka, over an alleged cybercrime involving the theft of $25,000.
Justice Friday Ogazi made the order after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the two defendants on charges bordering on conspiracy, cybercrime and money laundering.
The EFCC alleged that the offences were committed between July 24 and July 26, 2026, with the defendants working alongside an accomplice identified only as Scott, who is currently at large.
According to the prosecution, Aghogho allegedly disclosed his local administrative credential access code to Chukwuebuka, thereby enabling unauthorised access to FCMB’s Virtual Centre Platform and server IP credentials.
The prosecution told the court that the alleged access was subsequently used to siphon $25,000 from the bank.
The EFCC further alleged that after the operation, Aghogho received $2,000, while Chukwuebuka was allegedly paid $400 for his role.
The charges were said to contravene provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
During the arraignment, Aghogho pleaded not guilty to the charges, while Chukwuebuka pleaded guilty.
Defence lawyers, N. Egah and Livingstone Madu, informed the court that their clients were willing to explore a plea bargain arrangement. However, EFCC prosecutor, Bilikisu Buhari-Bala, told the court that the prosecution had not received any formal plea bargain proposal from the defence.
Following the proceedings, Justice Ogazi adjourned the case until August 27, 2026, for a review of the facts surrounding Chukwuebuka’s guilty plea.
The judge also ordered that both defendants remain in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending the next hearing.