The Federal High Court Abuja has frozen about N1,198,911,864.72 domiciled in Fidelity Bank, GT Bank, Access Bank and Wema Bank following monies linked to ex-staff of Globus Bank alleged to have hacked into customers N3.5 billion transactions and stolen same. The order was made against the following account names Haril Global Solutions Ltd, Abdullahi Abubakar Sadiq, Onobun Oluwaseun Olumide and Oluwaseun Adeniyi Afolabi, following a request by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
On its expertise originating summons (dated January 12, 2024) and associated internal memos and intelligence reports, the EFCC counsel, Olanrewaju Adeola, had asked the court to freeze all the accounts in the interest of justice and stop all outward payments, operations or transactions (including bill of exchange) on those accounts, in suit NO/FHC/CS/32/2024.
Before the EFCC swooped in, the management of Globus Bank had in 2023 raised alarm over the hacking of their systems indicting a few of their ex-staff who worked in the ICT department. The bank hurriedly approached a court in Lagos for freezing orders against several bank accounts allegedly associated with the suspects.
The bank then reported the development to the EFCC. The anti-graft agency’s affidavit in support deposed to by its Litigation Clerk, Samson Oloje, the commission received an intelligence report about the activities of ex-staff of Globus Bank who allegedly hacked into the bank systems and stole the sum of N3.5000.000.00 of customers’ money.
Upon receipt of the intelligence report, Globus Bank was invited wherein one Monday Edward, Head of Internal Audit/Chief Inspector of the Bank came and volunteered a statement confirming that the bank system was hacked.
He added that the intelligence report was assigned to the Advance Fee Fraud Section of the Commission and investigation thus far reveals that about three ICT staff of the bank perpetuated the fraud before leaving the institution.
He stressed that as pioneers and architects of the Globus Bank ICT software platform, Babatunde Idris Olayiwola, Chinedu Ihuma and Igwe George Benedict Obinna, who allegedly carried out the crime are abreast of the platform working details and knew how to access all the accounts of Globus Bank.
Oloje stated that sequel to the findings of the investigations, all bank accounts related to the fraud were requested via investigation activities letters to banks concerned wherein evidence of receipt of funds was established.
The EFCC staff also informed the court that Globus Bank management earlier approached the Federal High Court, Lagos to place a Post No Debit (PND) order on the bank accounts where the monies had been diverted, in order to prevent the depletion of the funds in the accounts.
Furthermore, he informed the court that the computers and telephone device of Igwe George Benedict Obinna has been sent for forensic analysis to know the extent of the involvement of Babatunde Idris, Olayiwola Chinedu Ihuma and Igwe George Benedict Obinna in the illegal activities.
The EFCC asked the court to grant its request as not granting it would jeopardize the ongoing investigation into the intelligence report received by the commission. On January 23, 2024, Justice Inyang Ekwo freezed the accounts in dispute and adjourned for the EFCC to provide reports of the final outcome of its investigation.