The Police Special Fraud Unit in Ikoyi, Lagos, has arraigned two students, Timothy Fashina Oluwabukola and Anthony Imonina Odemerho, before the Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly hacking into MTN Nigeria Communications’ computers and stealing airtime and data worth N1.9 billion.
Oluwabukola and Odemerho, who are students at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) in Abeokuta, Ogun State, and Resign Regal Academy in Benin City, Edo State, respectively, faced a four-count charge of conspiracy, unauthorized access to the company’s web-based platform known as Application Programming Interface (API), and unlawful conversion.
The duo, who pleaded not guilty, allegedly committed the offense between January and April this year in Lagos and Edo states, along with others who are still at large.
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Prosecution counsel Justine Enang stated that the defendants conspired to access the telco’s API and obtained data from the application, which they used to defraud MTN of N1.9 billion. “The alleged illegal act contravened Section 27(1)(b); 6(2) and 28(1)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 as amended in 2024, but is punishable under Section 8(2) of the same Act,” Enang explained.
Additionally, the offenses contravened Section 18(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and are punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.
The prosecutor requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendants in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) until the charges are determined.
However, the defense lawyers informed the court that they had filed bail applications for their clients. Justice Akintayo Aluko adjourned the case until August 5 for the hearing of the bail applications.
The charges against the defendants include:
- Conspiring to intentionally and without authorization gain access to MTN Nigeria Communications Plc’s computer system/network with the intent to obtain data, which they used to defraud the company of N1.9 billion.
- Accessing the computer system or network of MTN Nigeria Communication Plc through unauthorized use of authorization keys and passwords to gain access to MTN’s web-based platform known as API, obtaining airtime data valued at N1.9 billion, which they sold and converted the proceeds for personal use.
- Unlawfully manipulating MTN Nigeria Communications Plc’s computer system authorization keys or passwords to access the API and fraudulently obtain airtime valued at N1.9 billion, converting it to data, and selling it to the public, causing financial loss to MTN.
- Directly and intentionally converting MTN Nigeria Communications Plc’s property, specifically airtime valued at N1.9 billion, to data which was sold to the public, with the proceeds used for personal benefit, knowing that the property was part of the proceeds of unauthorized access to MTN’s computer system/network.
