By Adenike Lawal
Two employees of PremiumTrust Bank and three accomplices have been arraigned in Lagos for allegedly attempting to hack into the bank’s secure servers in what authorities describe as a sophisticated but failed cyber heist.
The accused, Kehinde Odeyemi and Matthew Adeniyi Damilola-both staff of the bank-were arraigned alongside Samson Latshin Dakup, Bolaji Omotosho Yinka, and Sunday Badeniyi Okunola before Justice Alexander Owoeye at the Federal High Court.
They face a seven-count charge of conspiracy and attempted cyber fraud, according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Between April and May 2025, the defendants allegedly tried to compromise PremiumTrust’s internal systems by manipulating domain credentials and access codes.
The attempt was reportedly neutralized before any funds or data were lost.
All five pleaded not guilty. While their lawyers sought bail, the judge insisted on formal applications. Odeyemi was remanded at Kirikiri Correctional Centre, while the others were sent to Ikoyi. The case resumes June 30.
In a swift response, PremiumTrust Bank confirmed that its cyber defense systems detected and blocked the breach attempt in real-time, assuring customers that no funds were affected.
“This reinforces our commitment to secure banking,” the bank stated, praising the EFCC’s intervention and urging users to remain vigilant online.
