Fraudster Steals $64,822 from Unity Bank’s ATMs

Ladipo Sanusi/

Police have accused a man of stealing $64, 822. 97 from Unity Bank’s automated teller machines.

The alleged fraudster, Adeagbo Samson Bayonle, 37, was on Thursday arraigned by the Police Special Fraud Unit at an Igboosere Chief Magistrate’s Court in Lagos.

The accused was arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy to commit felony and stealing.

Police claimed that Bayonle conspired with one Dayo Ogunseitan, who is at large, to commit the offences.

In a charge marked V/73/2017, police prosecutor, Inspector Wewe Adegbayi, said Bayonle and his accomplice committed the offences on November 6, 2017, in Lagos, Ibadan and various other locations in Nigeria.

Adegbayi also told the court that the accused and his accomplice connived to hack the bank’s system and also modified an ATM card belonging to the accused from naira to dollar denominated.

The accused then started using the modified ATM card to withdraw $64, 822. 97 from the bank’s ATMs until his eventual arrest, police further alleged.

Bayonle, however, pleaded not guilty to the alleged crime.

His counsel, Olusegun Adaranijo, also prayed the Court to admit him to bail under liberal terms, adding that the defendant would not jump bail.

Magistrate B.I. Bakare granted him bail in the sum of N5million with two sureties in like sum, one of whom must be a landed property owner in Lagos.

Bakare also ordered that the two sureties must deposit the sum of N50,000 each into the account of Court’s Chief Registrar.

The magistrate further said the defendant should be remanded at the Ikoyi Prison, until he fulfilled the bail conditions.

He adjourned the case till January 12, 2018 for mention.

0