Three men, who allegedly hacked the Facebook account of Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, and defrauded him of N9, 188, 100 million, were today, re-arraigned before a Federal High Court.
The three suspects, Frank Nwokobia, 27, Ezeoke Kanayochukwu, 25, and Godwin Essien, 28, were re-arraigned before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo court, on a five count charge bordering on conspiracy, fraud, impersonation and identity theft, by the men of State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, (SCIID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos.
The three defendants were formally arraigned during the court’s long vacation on the same count charges, before Justice (Professor) Chuka Obiozor.
Upon resumption from the vacation, the defendants’ case file was reassigned to Justice Oguntoyinbo, for rearraignment, and for their plea to be taken.
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At the resumed hearing today, the prosecutor, Mr. William Olu-Ologun, informed the court of the charge against the defendants, and pleaded with the court for the charge to be reread to the defendants, so that their pleas could be taken.
The three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, after it was read to them.
Consequently, their lawyers urged the court to admit their clients to bail in the most liberal terms.
Their bail applications were not opposed by the police.
Following the applications of the lawyers to the defendants, Justice Oguntoyinbo, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N5 million, with one surety each.
The judge ordered that the sureties deposit title documents and the Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) of their landed property to the court’s Deputy Chief Registrar (DCR).
The judge also ordered that the surety’s official and residential addresses, as well as their phone numbers must be verified by the prosecutor.
Adding that they must tender before the court evidence of three years tax payment.
The trial of the defendants have been adjourned till November 28.
According to prosecuting counsel, William Olu Ologun, the trio, sometime in May, hacked Obasa’s Facebook account and retrieved information with which they withdrew N9.1million from his Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) Plc account.
Ologun said following Obasa’s complaint, the defendants were arrested by police at different locations in Delta State.
According to him, they confessed to the crime.
The offences, he added, were contrary to Sections 27(1)(b) and 22(2)(b)(ii) of the Cybercrimes Prohibition and Prevention Act, 2015 and punishable under same.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
