The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos Zonal office,
on Thursday, November 28, 2019 arraigned the duo of Kayode Phillip and
Hamza Koudeih before Justice Muslim S. Hassan of the Federal High Court,
sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on a 25-count charge bordering on conspiracy and
money laundering.
The defendants, who are high-valued targets in Organized Cyber Syndicate
Network, OCSN, were arrested for their alleged involvement in various
cyber crimes and money laundering.
One of the count reads: “That you, Kayode Phillip (a.k.a Voice of the
King) and Hamza Koudeih (a.k.a. HK) sometime in May, 2019 within the
jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired among yourselves to
commit an offence to wit: conversion of the aggregate sum of $7, 069,
000 (Seven Million, Sixty-Nine Thousand United States Dollars), £1, 000,
000 (One Million Pounds) and €80,000 (Eighty Thousand Euro), which sum
you reasonably ought to have known form part of the proceeds of fraud
and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 18 (a), 15
(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2015 and punishable
under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them
by the Commission.
In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, Abass Mohammed, prayed
the court for a trial date and asked that the defendants be remanded in
Correctional Service custody as the detention facilities of the EFCC
custody had been over-stretched.
Counsel to the first defendant, Oladele Falana, however, informed the
court that he had filed a bail application on behalf of his client and
served same on the prosecution today.
He, therefore, craved the indulgence of the court for the earliest date
possible to hear the application.
Counsel to the second defendant, Abdullahi Mohammed, told the court that
an application for bail had been filed and served on the prosecution.
Mohammed further urged the court to hear the application and grant the
prayers therein, adding that “My client has hinted that he prefers to go
to the prison custody and that he will not be opposing the applications
of the prosecution.”
Though the prosecution counsel, Mohammed, told the court that he had yet
to receive a copy of the second defendant’s application for bail, he
conceded to the defendant being remanded in prison custody.
Consequently, Justice Hassan adjourned the matter to December 5, 2019
for bail hearing and ordered that the defendants be remanded in the
Nigerian Correctional Service custody.