Suspected hacker, Michael Anan arraigned for designing software to defraud bank in Kaduna

The Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Michael Anan Onimisi before Justice R.M Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Kaduna. Onimisi was charged with developing a software named “Bee-Leaf” and “Real-Eve” with the intention of defrauding First City Monument Bank Plc in the amount of N17,785,010.75 (Seventeen Million, Seven Hundred and Eighty Five Thousand, Ten Naira and Seventy Five Kobo).

He was accused of creating the software to breach the bank’s security measures for fraudulent purposes. The charges against him include six counts related to internet fraud and money laundering.

One of the counts reads, “that you, Michael Anan Onimisi, sometimes in June 2023, in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did directly retain the total sum of N17,785,010.75 (Seventeen Million, Seven Hundred and Eighty Five Thousand, Ten Naira and Seventy Five Kobo only), from First City Monument Bank Plc, which funds you knew forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.”

Onimisi pleaded not guilty to the six-count charges when they were presented to him. In response to his plea, the prosecution counsel, N. Salele, requested a trial date and asked the court to detain the defendant at a Correctional Centre until the trial begins.

On the other hand, the defense counsel, Rabiu Mohammed, informed the court about an application for bail. Salele objected to this, requesting more time to review and respond to the application.

Following the arguments from both sides, Justice Aikawa adjourned the case to October 19, 2023, to hear the bail application and December 6, 2023, for the commencement of the trial. He also ordered that the defendant be held at the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Kaduna.

The trouble began for the defendant when the Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC received a petition from First City Monument Bank Plc on June 23, 2023, alleging that the defendant, the sole proprietor of Ohoiza Crafts, had hacked into the bank’s system and fraudulently withdrawn N17,785,010.75 from the bank’s account, transferring it to his own account.