University Of Jos Students Hacked Into Union Bank Computer Database, Steal N2.05 Billion
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested two young
men who claimed to be undergraduates of the University of Jos, Isaiah
Friday and Azzaior Samuel, for an alleged N2.05bn fraud.
Two bureau de change operators, Salihu Mahmoud and Dan Ibrahim, were also arrested in connection with the alleged crime.
The suspects were also accused of being members of a syndicate that
specialised in breaking into the computer data base of financial
institutions to carry out dry posting of funds.
The Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said the suspects were arrested in Lagos and Jos.
He said, “Their arrest comes on the heels of a petition which the
commission received from Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, Marina, Lagos, in
January 2013, alleging that a criminal attack had been launched on its
data base known as ‘Flexcube’, by yet-to-be-identified criminals who
falsified the bank records and accounts and created unjustified huge
opening balances in several accounts across the bank’s branches. They
subsequently transferred funds from those accounts to several accounts
in other banks.
“The petition, which was signed by one A.F Olufade, Head of Fraud
Investigation at the bank, said cash withdrawals and electronic
transfers totalling N2.05bn was involved in the scam.”
It was learnt that EFCC initial investigation showed that Friday, who
was carrying out computer system maintenance services for one of the
Union Bank branches in Jos, Plateau State, on a part-time basis, paved
the way for the fraudsters to penetrate the bank’s database.
Uwujaren said, “Friday was traced and arrested. His arrest led to the arrest of Azaaior Samuel.
“Investigations further revealed that Samuel introduced Friday to
Mahmoud, who is the mastermind of the fraud with others now at large.
“Mahmoud and other collaborators told Friday that they needed access
to the bank’s database in order to carry out some postings. They
promised to give Friday N.5m if the deal succeeded.”
PUNCH Metro gathered that Friday agreed. On the day the crime was
committed, he told people at the bank that Samuel was his colleague who
had accompanied him to work.
It was learnt that after the gang had succeeded in gaining access to
the bank’s premises, it carried out the postings to six different
company accounts domiciled in Union Bank’s Marina branch in Lagos.
Uwujaren said, “The accounts are Gona Bureau De Change Limited,
Jaxmine Bureau De Change Limited, Dan Kawu Bureau De Change Limited,
Godswill Great Communications, ZHG Services Limited and A and B Console
Limited. The postings were carried out and the syndicate thereafter went
to the bank to withdraw all the funds. Friday was paid as promised and
other syndicate members now at large shared the remaining balance.”
The EFCC spokesman added that the commission had been able to recover $2,129,900 and another N134,542, from the fraudsters.
He said, “Other items recovered are furniture worth N10m from
Salihu Liman’s one bedroom apartment in Yaba, Lagos; four vehicles,
landed properties in Kano and Kaduna and a four-bedroom duplex worth
N45m in Lagos. Investigation into the scam continues.
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