EFCC arraigns two over alleged unlawful supply of FCMB access credentials

EFCC arraigns two over alleged unlawful supply of FCMB access credentials

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned two men before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, over the alleged unlawful supply of bank access credentials capable of providing access to the database of First City Monument Bank (FCMB).

The defendants, Gideon Bakpa Aghogho and Oscar Ebere Chukwuebuka, were arraigned on Wednesday by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the EFCC before Justice F.N. Ogazi on an eight-count charge bordering on the alleged unlawful disclosure and supply of access credentials to the bank’s computer system.

A third suspect, identified simply as Scott, was also named in the charges but remains at large.

The offences were brought under Sections 27 and 28(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024, according to the prosecution.

One of the counts alleged that the defendants, between July 24 and July 26, 2026, conspired to supply Aghogho’s access code to the FCMB system through a local administrative credential.

The EFCC alleged that the credential was capable of granting access to the bank’s Virtual Centre Platform and was supplied with the intention of using the access to commit an offence.

In another count, the commission alleged that Aghogho, sometime between April and May 2025, knowingly and without lawful authority disclosed sensitive credentials connected to FCMB’s systems.

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According to the prosecution, the information allegedly included the bank’s server IP and domain credentials, which could be used to gain access to the bank’s database.

The EFCC further alleged that the credentials were supplied in exchange for $15,000.

When the charges were read to the defendants, Aghogho pleaded not guilty, while Chukwuebuka pleaded guilty.

Following Aghogho’s plea, EFCC prosecution counsel Bilkisu Buhari asked the court to fix a date for trial and sought an order for his remand in a correctional facility.

In relation to Chukwuebuka, who entered a guilty plea, the prosecution requested an opportunity to review the facts of the case before proceeding with the matter.

Justice Ogazi subsequently adjourned the case until August 27, 2026, for review of facts and other proceedings.

The judge also ordered that both defendants be remanded in a correctional centre pending the next hearing.

The case centres on allegations involving the unauthorised disclosure and supply of privileged banking-system credentials, raising wider concerns about the security of financial institutions’ digital infrastructure.

Administrative credentials can provide elevated access to computer systems and, if improperly disclosed or used, may expose sensitive databases and other protected resources to unauthorised persons. The alleged conduct in this case is therefore being prosecuted under Nigeria’s cybercrime legislation.

The EFCC’s allegations, however, have not been established as facts by the court. The prosecution will be required to prove its case through evidence, while the defendants remain entitled to the presumption of innocence until otherwise determined by the court.

The case will return before Justice Ogazi on August 27 for further proceedings.

EFCC arraigns two over alleged unlawful supply of FCMB access credentials