A federal high court in Lagos has granted bail to two students, Timothy Oluwabukola and Anthony Odemerho, who are accused of hacking into MTN Nigeria Communication computers to steal airtime and data valued at approximately N1.9 billion (US$4,026,000).
On August 5, 2024, the students from Moshood Abiola Polytechnic and Resign Regal Academy were each granted bail of N50 million (US$31,368).
Bail Conditions:
Each defendant must provide two sureties:
A civil servant in federal or Lagos State employment, with a grade of 14 or above, must provide a reference letter and proof of their last promotion.
A landed property owner within the court’s jurisdiction must provide evidence of ownership and an affidavit of means.
Both defendants must submit two recent passport photographs.
The prosecution must verify all documents submitted by the sureties, including their residential addresses.
Until these conditions are met, the defendants will remain in the Correctional Centre.
Charges:
Oluwabukola and Odemerho were arraigned on July 30, 2024, on conspiracy charges, unauthorized access into MTN’s web-based platform (known as the Application Programming Interface), and unlawful conversion.
The prosecution alleges that the defendants and others at large carried out these offences between January and April 2024.
Legal Implications:
The charges contravene sections of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. If convicted, the defendants face significant legal consequences.
The court has adjourned the case until August 5, 2024, to hear the defendants’ bail applications. The prosecution, represented by Justine Enang, is expected to review the bail applications before the next court date.
