Man steals Sim Card, BVN number & transfer N714k from Victim's Account

A businessman, 31, Damilare Ketiku, who allegedly stole a Sim card and used it to transfer N714,000 was on Wednesday brought before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos. The accused was docked before a Magistrate, Mrs Y.O Ekogbule, on a charge of stealing.

Ketiku, a resident of Ikosi, Ketu, Lagos, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and was admitted to bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.

According to the prosecutor, Insp. Clement Okuoimose, the accused committed the offences between the months of April and May at Oshodi, Lagos. He said that the accused entered the shop of Mrs Rekiyat Yaya and secretly stole her sim card to withdraw N714,000 from her bank account.

"The accused stole the complainant’s Airtel sim card, copied out her Bank Verification Number(BVN). He used it to transfer N714,000 from her Access bank account to another Access Bank account and withdrew it, without the complainant’s knowledge.

"When the complainant got to the bank to make some transactions, she discovered that her account had been hacked into and her money stolen by the accused," he said.

The offence contravened Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015(Revised).  The case was adjourned to May 30, for mention.