SunTrust Bank Plc is working to recover over N800 million allegedly lost to hackers after its server was breached between 2023 and 2026.
Operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, have arraigned one of the alleged suspects, a 47-year-old man, Ugochukwu Eze, also known as “Amazon”, before a Federal High Court in Lagos over the incident.
Eze was arraigned Thursday before Justice Friday Ogazi.
The DSS lawyer, M. Bajela Esq, told the court that the defendant and others now at large allegedly conspired between 2023 and 2026 to unlawfully hinder the function of SunTrust Bank Plc’s computer system and in the process fraudulently diverted over N800 million belonging to the bank.
The defendant was also accused of concealing and transferring various sums of money traced to the alleged unlawful cyber-attacks on some financial institutions, and of causing unauthorized access to critical national financial information infrastructure.
According to the prosecutor, the alleged offences contravene Sections 5, 6(1) and 8 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2024, and Sections 10, 20 and 18(2)(D) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
One of the counts reads:
“That you UGOCHUKWU EZE (AKA AMAZON) (M) (47 YEARS) sometime between 2023 and 2026 in Lagos, and other places within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, unlawfully seriously hindered the function of SunTrust Bank Plc’s computer system, and in the process fraudulently diverted over N800,000,000.00 (Eight Hundred Million Naira) belonging to the said SunTrust Bank Plc, thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 8 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc.) Act, 2024.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Following his plea, the prosecutor asked the court for a trial date and prayed that the defendant be remanded pending the determination of the charge.
The defendant’s lawyer, E. Afrogha, informed the court that a bail application had been filed, and stated that her client had been in DSS custody for over a month.
The prosecutor told the court he had not been served with the bail application and that his witnesses were available.
After listening to both counsel, Justice Ogazi adjourned the matter to 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, NCoS, pending the hearing of the bail application.
SunTrust Bank said it is working with relevant authorities to trace and recover the funds allegedly diverted.