The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday May 14, 2015 arraigned one Mary Ozala before Justice Kudirat. A. Jose of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja on a 4- count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretences. Three other suspects, Nwokeke C. Chukwunonso, Shedrach Umeh and Uchenna Okpala are at large. Ozala, 22-year-old student and her co-travelers are alleged to have hacked into the email account of the complainant whom they fraudulently defrauded of the sum of N2 million.
When the charge was read to the defendant in court, she pleaded not guilty. One of the counts reads: “that you Mary Ozala, Nwokeke C. Chukwunonso, Shedrach Umeh (still at large), Uchenna Okpala (still at large) on or about the 7th day of August, 2013 at Ikeja within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud conspire to steal the sum of N2,000,000.00 (two million naira) property of Capital Field Investment and Trust Limited. by hacking into an email account of the company’s investor, one Ronke Okewole and fraudulently instructing Capital Investment and Trust Limited to withdraw the sum of N2,000,000.00 (two million naira) from Ronke Okewole’s account to credit the account of one Ezeigwe Chinenye Henrietta with Zenith Bank Plc. Account no. 2009811047″. In view of the plea of the defendant, the prosecution counsel, Oluwatoyin Owodunni prayed the court to fix a date for trial and also to remand the defendant in prison custody pending trial. However, the defence counsel, Chibuzo Mwakobi, prayed the court for a short adjournment to allow him file an application for bail for his client. Justice Jose subsequently ordered that the defendant be remanded in EFCC custody pending the determination of the bail application. The case was adjourned to October 12, 2015.