A Federal High Court in Lagos has granted bail to a 47-year-old man, Ugochukwu Eze, accused of hacking into the computer system of SunTrust Bank Plc and allegedly diverting more than N800 million.
Eze, also known as “Amazon,” was admitted to bail in the sum of N150 million with two sureties in like sum.Justice Friday Ogazi granted the bail after hearing arguments for and against the application filed by the defendant, who has been in custody following his arraignment by the Department of State Services.
The judge also fixed November 19, 2026, for trial.Eze was arraigned on August 6, 2026, on charges bordering on SunTrus hack, conspiracy, cybercrime, hacking and alleged diversion of over N800 million from SunTrust Bank.
The prosecution, led by Michael Bajela, alleged that Eze and other suspects still at large carried out the offences between 2023 and 2026.According to the prosecution, the suspects allegedly interfered with and disrupted SunTrust Bank’s computer system before fraudulently diverting more than N800 million belonging to the financial institution.
Eze was also accused of concealing and transferring funds allegedly linked to cyber-attacks on financial institutions, as well as gaining unauthorised access to critical national financial information infrastructure.The offences were said to contravene provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2024, and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.But Eze pleaded not guilty to the charges.Following his plea, the court had ordered that he be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending further proceedings.While in custody, the defendant applied for bail, citing health concerns and asking the court to release him on liberal terms.The DSS, however, opposed the application, arguing that Eze posed a flight risk and should not be released.In his ruling, Justice Ogazi granted bail but attached stringent conditions.The court ordered that the two sureties must be landlords with landed property valued at not less than N150 million, while they must also provide evidence of three years’ tax payment.The judge further ruled that one of the sureties could instead be a civil servant of Grade Level 15 or its equivalent, either in the Lagos State or Federal Civil Service, or an agency of the Federal Government.Such a civil servant must be resident in Lagos State, with the address subject to verification by the court.Justice Ogazi also ordered Eze to surrender all his passports and international travel documents to the court.He was further barred from travelling outside Nigeria without the court’s prior permission.One of the charges alleged that Eze, sometime between 2023 and 2026 in Lagos and other places within the court’s jurisdiction, unlawfully interfered with SunTrust Bank’s computer system and, in the process, fraudulently diverted more than N800 million belonging to the bank.The alleged offence is punishable under Section 8 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2024.The allegations against Eze remain unproven unless and until established before the court.
