Crime & Court
Alleged cyber crime: Court rejects move to examine Naira Marley’s iPhone
The Federal High Court Sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos has overruled an application seeking to examine the iPhone SIM slot of Azeez Fashola popularly known as Naira Marley.
Naira Marley is facing an 11-count charge of conspiracy, possession of counterfeit cards and fraud before Justice Nicholas Oweibo.
The court, on Thursday listened to the cross-examination of the second prosecution witness, Mr. Anosike Augustine, a mobile forensic expert with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
But, the defence counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo (SAN) had asked the witness if he recalled testifying that his gadgets could capture and retrieve deleted information.
When the witness answered in the affirmative, Ojo asked if he had indicated in his Exhibit F or F1 that any information was deleted and retrieved.
In response, the witness told the court that the content of his report indicated that items recovered also included deleted information.
When the defence counsel redirected the witness to specifically answer the question, he told the court that for instance, in the column tagged messages, it was stated that two pieces of information were deleted but recovered.
He said that in the web/history column, it was indicated that about 688 information were deleted but recovered, while another web column indicated that 120 items were deleted but recovered.
Referring to Pages 1958, of Exhibit F1, the witness told the court that it indicated that an incoming text was deleted, adding that the message ID read – Nairamarley@icloud.com.
He told the court that the deleted and recovered items showed that the gadgets was able to recover even deleted information.
Defence counsel then asked the witness if the defendant’s iPhone had a SIM card when he worked on it.
In response, the witness told the court that he did not open the phone of the defendant, but only ran the extraction and emerged with the result.
When asked if he was able to detect that the iPhone was a used phone before it was sent to him for analysis, the witness replied that he was not in a position to do so.
When asked when the first information extracted was done, the witness said that for instance under contact, the first index was created on Sept. 2, 2018, and modified on Dec. 21, 2018, as recorded in the device.
Defence counsel then called for the iPhone of the defendant and applied to the court for the witness to be allowed to open the SIM slot in order to determine whether a SIM card was present.
The prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo Hobart raised objections to the application on grounds that the witness had already testified on record that he did not open the phone during analysis.
He argued that having not done so during analysis, the witness should not be made to do so during trial.
The defence counsel countered by explaining to the court that what he sought to demonstrate was whether the SIM card was inside the iPhone of the defendant, and not to remove or tamper with it.
He told the court that he also sought to demonstrate that the said phone number of the defendant, which ended in 32, was in use at the moment, whereas the same phone was in the custody of the court
After arguments and counter-arguments, the court upheld the argument of the prosecution that opening the SIM slot was not the proper thing to do.
The judge then adjourned the case until April 6, for the continuation of trial.
According to the EFCC, the defendant committed the offences on different dates between Nov. 26, 2018, and Dec. 11, 2018, as well as on May 10, 2019.
The commission alleged that Fashola and his accomplices conspired to use different Access Bank automated teller machine cards to defraud their victims.
It alleged that the defendant used a bank credit card issued to another person, in a bid to obtain fraudulent financial gains.
The EFCC also said that the defendant possessed counterfeit credit cards belonging to different people, with the intent to defraud.
The alleged offences contravene the provisions of Sections 1 23 (1) (b), 27 (1) and 33(9) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition) Prevention Act, 2015
Fashola, who sang the popular song: “Am I a Yahoo Boy”, was arraigned on May 20, 2019, before Justice Nicholas Oweibo, but he pleaded not guilty.
The court granted him bail in the sum of two million naira with two sureties in like sum.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has rearrested Friday Audu, the alleged mastermind of a massive cryptocurrency investment fraud and romance scam, just moments after he was granted bail by a Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.
In a dramatic turn of events, EFCC operatives intercepted Audu as he stepped out of the court premises on Thursday. The anti-graft officers swiftly bundled him into a waiting white van and whisked him away, while his co-defendants were led off by correctional officers.
Audu, alongside two Chinese nationals, Huang Haoyu and An Hongxu, as well as their company, Genting International Ltd, is facing a 12-count charge bordering on cybercrime. The trio was arraigned before Justice Daniel Osiagor on Monday, March 17, and returned to court on March 20 for their bail hearing.
Despite being granted bail, Audu’s troubles deepened as EFCC officials moved in swiftly. The court had granted him bail in the sum of N50 million, with two sureties—one being a serving director in Nigeria, and the other a Lagos-based property owner willing to surrender title documents to the court. Until these conditions are met, Audu was to remain in correctional custody.
However, his alleged accomplice, Huang Haoyu, was not as fortunate. The court denied his bail application, ruling that his residence status in Nigeria was unclear and that he posed a flight risk. The third defendant, An Hongxu, did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody.
Justice Osiagor adjourned the trial to May 2, 2025.
How It All Started
The EFCC’s case against Audu and his co-defendants stems from a December 2024 sting operation that led to the arrest of 193 foreigners and several Nigerians linked to a sophisticated cyber-fraud network.
According to the prosecution, Audu allegedly spearheaded the recruitment of young Nigerians into the syndicate, which engaged in cyber fraud, cryptocurrency scams, and illicit financial dealings. The EFCC further alleged that the group conspired with one Dualiang Pan (still at large) to access computer systems designed to destabilize Nigeria’s economic and social structure.
The defendants were accused of using young Nigerians to impersonate foreign nationals in online scams, defrauding unsuspecting victims of millions of dollars. Investigators also linked them to a staggering ₦3.4 billion fraud, with proceeds traced to the Union Bank account of Genting International Ltd.
Other fraudulent transactions flagged in the case include:
- The illegal retention of $1.2 million in a crypto wallet by one Chukwuemeka Okeke.
- A similar retention of $1.3 million by Alhassan Garba and Ifesinachi Jacobs.
- Suspicious transfers of ₦106 million and ₦913 million to an account controlled by Dualiang Pan.
- Unofficial foreign exchange dealings worth over ₦2 billion, allegedly conducted outside the Central Bank of Nigeria’s approved system.
The EFCC maintained that these activities violated multiple provisions of the Cybercrime (Prohibition) Act 2015, the Money Laundering Act 2021, and the Foreign Exchange Monitoring Act 2004.
Battle for Bail
During Thursday’s proceedings, EFCC prosecutor Bilikisu Buhari-Bala opposed bail for the defendants, arguing that they were flight risks and key players in an extensive cybercrime syndicate. She pressed for an accelerated trial instead.
Defense counsels, however, pleaded for leniency. Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Emeka Okpoko, representing the first defendant, urged the court to grant his client bail on “liberal terms.” Similarly, Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), who represented Audu, pushed for his client’s release under favorable conditions.
Despite the court’s decision to grant Audu bail, his freedom was short-lived as EFCC officials quickly stepped in to rearrest him, a move that hints at fresh charges or an ongoing investigation.
With the case now set for trial on May 2, all eyes remain on the EFCC and the fate of the alleged crypto fraud syndicate.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested the Accountant General of Bauchi State, Sirajo Jaja, over an alleged ₦70 billion fraud.
Jaja was apprehended in Abuja on Wednesday, 19 March 2025, alongside Aliyu Abubakar, an operator of Jasfad Resources Enterprise—an unlicensed bureau de change (BDC)—and Sunusi Ibrahim Sambo, a Point of Sale (PoS) operator.
Their arrests form part of an ongoing EFCC investigation into allegations of money laundering, diversion of public funds, and misappropriation involving the staggering sum.
The Commission is also probing the Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, in connection with the matter.
According to the EFCC, preliminary findings indicate that a total of ₦59 billion was withdrawn in cash through various bank accounts managed by the Accountant General on behalf of the state government. The funds were allegedly transferred to Abubakar and Sambo, who then made cash payments to political party agents and associates of the governor.
Notably, Abubakar, the BDC operator, had previously absconded while on bail but has now been rearrested.
EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, confirmed the arrests, stating that investigations are ongoing to unravel the full extent of the financial misconduct.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a shipment of cocaine ingeniously concealed within prayer beads and locally made shoes, foiling an attempt to traffic the illicit substance.
NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, revealing that some suspects have been arrested in connection with the smuggling attempt.
Babafemi, who shared images of the seized contraband on X (formerly Twitter), condemned the act, especially in the holy month when religious devotion takes precedence.
“In this holy month, when people are consecrating themselves and making supplications to their God, some persons were preoccupied with concealing cocaine in prayer beads and locally made shoes to desecrate the precincts of the holy land in the holy month,” he stated.
He further noted that vigilant NDLEA operatives intercepted the illicit shipment, preventing the traffickers from executing their plan.
The anti-narcotics agency has intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking, especially methods that exploit religious items and sacred periods to evade detection.
As investigations continue, the NDLEA reaffirmed its commitment to curbing drug-related crimes and ensuring that traffickers face the full weight of the law.
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