Should the use of mobile banking be stoped? Man allegedly transfers N100,000 from sleeping roommate’s phone

A 33-year-old man, Chima Njoku, who allegedly used his roommate’s phone to transfer N100,000 from the latter’s bank account into his own, on Thursday appeared in court.

Njoku, who resides in Gbagada area of Lagos, is facing two counts of breach of peace and stealing before an Ogudu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Lucky Ihiehie, told the court that the accused committed the offence between September 5 and October 6, 2017 at his residence.

He said the complainant, one Samuel Ogundipe, a military personnel, reported the matter to the police on October 7.

Ihiehie said the accused took the complainant’s phone when he was asleep, and used it to steal from the complainant’s bank account.

“The accused used the complainant’s Guaranty Trust Bank application to transfer N100,000 into his own personal GTB account without his consent,’’ he said.

The prosecutor said the complainant noticed that for a month, money had been missing from his account without any alert on the transactions, so he went to his bank to check.

Ihiehie said the complainant discovered in his bank account statement that the accused had been stealing from him through his (complainant’s) phone.

He said the name of the accused appeared on many transactions that the complainant did not know about.

Ihiehie said that the accused had been using the complainant’s phone to make transactions while he (complainant) was sleeping.

He said the accused got to know the pin number sometime in January when his roommate lent him N200,000.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened sections 168(d) and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

The accused, however, pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charges.

The Magistrate, Mrs. O. Sule-Amzat, granted the accused a bail of N200,000 with two sureties whose addresses must be verified.

She adjourned the case until December 13. (NAN)