Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos Special Offences Court in Ikeja has convicted and sentenced two men, Hamza Zakaria and Nurudeen Ibrahim, to 26 months in prison each for their role in an N8.56 billion cyber fraud involving a new-generation bank.

The court found the duo guilty of unlawfully accessing the bank’s computer systems. They were first arraigned on May 2, 2025, along with several others, on a four-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The charges included conspiracy, stealing, and unlawful access to a computer system—offences that violate Sections 409 and 331 of the Lagos State Criminal Law, 2011.

Zakaria and Ibrahim initially pleaded not guilty but later changed their plea after the EFCC amended the charges, making it possible for the court to convict them on the revised counts.

During the case review, EFCC counsel Muhammad Bashir called an operative, Airende Monday, who tendered documents that were admitted as evidence.

Delivering judgment, Justice Oshodi stated:
“I find the defendants guilty in the two-count amended information, and I convict them accordingly. This is the judgment of the court.”

The judge sentenced them to eight months imprisonment on the first count and one year, six months on the second count. Both sentences will run concurrently, with an option of a ₦50,000 fine.

According to the EFCC, Zakaria, Ibrahim, and others still at large conspired in January 2025 to illegally infiltrate and manipulate Wema Bank’s computer systems and servers, diverting and retaining billions in criminal proceeds.