ABUJA/Nigeria: Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has filed criminal charges against MTN Nigeria, Olawale Rasheed Ajibade, and Lilian Binda on four counts, including cybercrime.
When the case came up for hearing on Friday, October 3, 2025, before Hon. Justice Joyce Obehi Abdulmalik in Court 6, Federal High Court, Abuja, neither MTN Nigeria nor the accused persons were present, prompting the judge to adjourn the case to November 27, 2025.
MTN Nigeria and the others were charged as follows: “That you, MTN Nigeria Communication Plc; Olawale Rasheed Ajibade, Manager, Modern Workplace, IT Division, Lagos Office of MTN Nigeria; and Lilian Binda, the Adviser, Organizational Effectiveness & Performance, Abuja Regional Office of MTN Nigeria, on or about the 6th day of May, 2023 in Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit: unlawfully and intentionally doing an act which caused directly the serious hindering of the functioning of a Dell Latitude 5420 Laptop computer by deleting, deteriorating, altering, or suppressing computer data. You thereby committed an offence punishable under section 27(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2015 (as amended in 2024).”
Count 2 charges: “That you, MTN Nigeria Communication Plc; Olawale Rasheed Ajibade; and Lilian Binda, on or about May 6, 2023, without lawful authority, intentionally did an act which directly caused serious hindering of the functioning of a Dell Latitude 5420 Laptop computer by deleting, deteriorating, altering, or suppressing computer data, preventing the Laptop from functioning as intended. You thereby committed an offence punishable under section 8 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024).”
Count 3 states: “That you, MTN Nigeria Communication Plc; Olawale Rasheed Ajibade; and Lilian Binda, on or about May 6, 2023, conspired amongst yourselves to commit an offence to wit: causing modification of e-mail messages held in a Dell Latitude 5420 Laptop computer or MTN network. You thereby committed an offence punishable under section 27(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024).”
Count 4 charges: “That you, MTN Nigeria Communication Plc; Olawale Rasheed Ajibade; and Lilian Binda, on or about May 6, 2023, with intent and without lawful authority, directly modified or caused modification of e-mail messages held in a Dell Latitude 5420 Laptop computer or MTN network. You thereby committed an offence punishable under section 16(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024).”
The charges allege deliberate interference with computer data and email messages, reflecting a serious breach under Nigeria’s cybercrime laws. The case has now been adjourned to November 27, 2025, for further proceedings.
