By Court Reporter
LAGOS — “My lord, the defendant has been in the custody of the DSS for over a month.”
That was the plea from defence counsel Ezekiel Afrogha on Thursday as 47-year-old Ugochukwu Eze — known on the streets as “Amazon” — stood before Justice Friday Ogazi at the Federal High Court in Lagos, accused of one of the most brazen cyber heists in Nigerian banking history.
Eze pleaded not guilty to a five-count charge alleging that he hacked SunTrust Bank Plc’s server and fraudulently diverted over N800 million between 2023 and 2026.
Prosecutor Muhammed Bajela painted a picture of a sophisticated, multi-year operation. “The defendant and others still at large conspired to unlawfully interfere with the bank’s computer system,” Bajela told the court. “They compromised the server over a three-year period, gradually siphoning funds into multiple accounts across various financial institutions.”
The Department of State Services (DSS) alleges Eze didn’t just steal the money — he laundered it. According to the prosecution, he concealed and transferred proceeds through several financial institutions and unlawfully accessed critical national financial information infrastructure.
The offences, Bajela maintained, violate Sections 5, 6(1), and 8 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2024, alongside Sections 10, 20, and 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
When the charges were read, Eze’s response was firm: not guilty.
Based on that plea, Bajela urged Justice Ogazi to fix a trial date and remand the defendant in a correctional centre pending trial. “We are ready to proceed with trial, my lord,” he added, noting that prosecution witnesses were available.
But Afrogha pushed back hard. “My lord, we have filed a bail application on behalf of the defendant,” he said. “He has been in DSS custody for over a month, and we urge the court to hear our application.”
The prosecution countered that it had not been served with the bail papers.
Justice Ogazi ruled swiftly: the case is adjourned until August 24, 2026, for the bail hearing. Until then, Eze will remain in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
The charges are weighty. One count alleges that Eze, between 2023 and 2026, unlawfully hindered the operation of SunTrust Bank’s computer system and diverted over N800 million — an offence punishable under Section 8 of the Cybercrimes Act, 2024.
The DSS, constitutionally tasked with protecting Nigeria’s critical national infrastructure, has spent months investigating the case. Sources close to the probe say the bank’s server was breached over three years, with funds slowly drained into accounts scattered across various financial institutions.
Eze’s arrest marks a breakthrough, but Bajela made clear the net is still cast wide: other suspects remain at large and are being pursued.
The case spotlights the escalating cybercrime threat facing Nigeria’s financial sector, where hackers have grown increasingly sophisticated. The Cybercrimes Act, 2024, was designed precisely for cases like this — carrying severe penalties for unauthorised access, data interference, and computer-related fraud.
For now, “Amazon” sits in a prison cell, his fate hanging on an August 24 bail hearing. SunTrust Bank, meanwhile, is fighting to recover its N800 million — a battle that has shifted from firewalls and servers to affidavits and courtrooms.
