Two students, Timothy Oluwabukola and Anthony Odemerho, have been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly hacking into MTN Nigeria Communication Plc’s computers and stealing airtime and data valued at N1.9 billion.
The Police Special Fraud Unit, Ikoyi, Lagos arraigned the suspects before Justice Akintayo Aluko on a four-count charge of conspiracy, unauthorised access into the company’s web-based platform known as Application Programming Interface (API) and unlawful conversion.
Oluwabukola and Odemerho are said to be students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) Abeokuta, Ogun State, and Resign Regal Academy in Benin City, Edo State, respectively.
The duo and others said to be at large, were alleged to have committed the offences between January and April this year, in Lagos and Edo.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor urged the court to remand them in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) till the determination of the charges.
But the defence countered, saying they had filed bail applications.
Justice Aluko adjourned till August 5 for hearing of the defendants’ bail applications.
