The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, fixed July 24 for the arraignment of two alleged hackers, Abayomi Oluwasesan and Onifade Adeniyi, accused of stealing over $87.8 million from the account of a global crypto investment company.

According to the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/289/2023 and brought before the court by the Inspector-General of Police, the suspects allegedly gained access to the account of Afriq Arbitrage Company in October 2022 and diverted all the funds in it.

The duo allegedly used the stolen funds to acquire exotic cars and houses and embarked on a lavish lifestyle, travelling in private jets and only with first-class tickets on commercial flights.

When the matter was called before Justice Binta Nyako, it could not hold owing to the absence of their counsel.

The prosecuting counsel, Wisdom Madaki, told the court that the duo was brought from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) for arraignment and that they had been duly served with the charge.

The defendants, who had already mounted the dock, told the court that their lawyers were not in court because they were unaware that the police were bringing them to court.

Justice Nyako, who did not seem happy with the development, asked Mr Madaki to properly serve the charge on the defendants and adjourned the matter until July 24 for arraignment.

The prosecution had alleged that the defendants, who escaped from the country, were apprehended with the help of Interpol.

According to the police, aside from the first defendant, Mr Oluwasesan, a staff member of the company, other persons involved in the fraud are presently at large.

Some counts in the charge against the defendants read: “That you, Abayomi Oluwasesan and Onifade Adeniyi, on or before October 2022, within the jurisdiction of this court, conspired among yourselves to commit a felony, to wit: computer-related fraud, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 27 and punishable under Section 14 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention Act) 2015.

“That you, Abayomi Oluwasesan, and Onifade Adeniyi of the same place, date, and time in the aforesaid judicial division did convert the sum of $87,883,904, property of Afriq Arbitrage Company, to yourselves, property derived directly from proceeds of theft, with the aim of concealing or disguising the Illicit origin or source of the money, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(1) of the Money and (Prohibition) Act LFN.

“That you, Abayomi Oluwasesan and Onifade Adeniyi, knowingly and without authority, fraudulently changed the ownership credentials of the Company Chief Executive Officer of Afriq Arbitrage Company and gained access to millions of the subscribers’ investments and diverted the sum of $87,883,904 to yourselves and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 14 of the Cyber Crimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act 2015.”

(NAN)