How Siblings Hacked Osun Magistrate’s Email, Account, Withdrew Money

FOUR siblings have been arrested by the police for allegedly hacking the email account of a Chief Magistrate in Osun State, Mr. Emmanuel Aluko. 

The siblings,  Lucky Daniel (19), Joel Daniel (22), Odafe Daniel (24), Ezekiel Daniel (16), according to the police, obtained Bank Verification Number (BVN) of the magistrate through the email and stole a sum of N219,000 from his account after that. 

They were arraigned in court alongside two others accused persons, 21-year-old Kamorudeen Sodiq and 17-year-old Ayomide Olajide on a seven-count charge bordering on conspiracy, cybercrime and breach of peace.

According to the police, the first defendant, Lucky Daniel, used computer and phone gadget to intercept the bank account of Aluko and withdrew a sum of N19,000 from his Zenith Bank Plc account, Osogbo, and a sum of N200,000 from his Living Trust Mortgage Bank account.

Speaking before the court, the police prosecutor, Inspector Saheed Anifowose, noted that the suspects committed the offence from Lagos State.

Anifowose disclosed that the accused persons were tracked down to Lagos before they were arrested.

He stated that the police were attacked by the suspects while trying to arrest them.

When asked by the court how the fraud was carried out, the first defendant, Lucky told the court that they hacked into the email account of the magistrate through his phone number, saying that they were able to get his BVN from his email.

The accused person disclosed that he created a Palmpay account with the name of the Magistrate in which they used in collecting the money.

The alleged offence, according to the police, violated Sections 516, 249(d), 404, 390(9), 484 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Vol. II, Laws of Osun, 2002 and Sections 14(1), 14(3) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act, 2015.

However, the first defendant pleaded guilty to  five out of the seven count charges levelled   against him while others pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

In his ruling, the presiding Magistrate, Dr. Olusegun Ayilara, admitted Joel Daniel, Odafe Daniel, Ezekiel Daniel, Sodiq and Olajide to bail in the sum of N500,000 and two sureties each.

Ayilara remanded the first accused person, Daniel, in Ilesa Correctional Centre, just as he adjourned the case till November 30, 2023 for presentation of fact against him.