By TAIYE AGBAJE

The police, on Thursday, told a Federal High Court in Abuja that the whereabouts of 24 foreigner hackers being prosecuted on allegations bordering on cybercrime was unknown.

The police lawyer, Victor Okoye, told Justice Ekerete Akpan at the resumed hearing of their trial, after at least 85 of the defendants were recently convicted, fined and ordered to be deported.

Okoye said the 24 foreigners were yet to be apprehended by the security agency.

?My lord, the defendants are at large and we are yet to apprehend them,? he had said.

It will be recalled that Justice Akpan had, about two months ago, convicted 21 of the 109 foreign nationals being charged and fined them N1 million each, after they opted for a plea bargain agreement.

The judge, who alternatively ordered them to serve a one-year jail term, also ordered their deportation from Nigeria after meeting the judgment terms.

He further directed that all the gadgets used in the commission of the crimes should be forfeited to the Federal Government.

Justice Akpan also, on Oct. 14, convicted a set of another 59 of the foreign hackers on the same plea bargain deal with the Nigerian Police Force, leaving 24 defendants who chose to face the trial.

The judge then adjourned the matter until Oct. 22 and Oct. 23 for trial of the 24 defendants.

When the matter came up on Wednesday, the defendants were not in court and the matter was adjourned until Thursday.

However, upon resumed hearing on Thursday, Okoye told the court that the defendants were still at large and that the police were yet to apprehend them.

The lawyer informed the court that he had an amended charge and that he was ready to proceed.

Justice Akpan told him that his amended charge cannot be taken when the defendants were not in court.

Okoye then sought an adjournment to do the needful and the judge adjourned the matter until Dec. 10 for hearing.

The Inspector General (I-G) of Police had, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/599/2024, sued the 109 foreigners and were arraigned on six counts.

The defendants, include nationals of China, Indonesia, Brazil, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand, had pleaded not guilty to the counts and were remanded in correctional centres.

Justice Akpan had, on Nov. 29, 2024, admitted them to a N1 billion bail with five sureties each.

The judge, who granted them bail, directed that the five sureties must have a landed property worth N200, 000 million each.

Justice Akpan directed that the sureties must deposit the original and verified documents of their landed property with the deputy registrar of the court.

The judge also directed the sureties to deposit their international passports.

While the male defendants were remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre, the court held that the female defendants should be kept at Keffi Correctional Centre in Nasarawa State pending the perfection of their bail terms.

The defendants, who had met their bail terms, were, in 2024, arrested by the police.

They were apprehended in their residence at Plot 1906, Cadestral Zone 807, Katampe District of Abuja, where they were said to be engaging in cybercrime by allegedly promoting ?a fraudulent and unregistered gaming platform.?

In the six-count charge, the foreigners were charged with cybercrime, money laundering and unlawfully residing in Nigeria, etc.

In one of the counts, they were alleged to have aided, abetted, conspired among themselves ?to commit an offence, to wit; cybercrime.?

They were alleged to have committed the offence contrary to and punishable under Section 27 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024).

They were also alleged to have accessed a computer network and input with the intention that such inauthentic data will be considered or acted upon as If they were authentic or genuine.

The offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 13 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024).

Again, they were alleged to have removed ?from Nigeria proceeds generated from operating a fraudulent and unregistered gambling platforms.

?These platforms are 9f.com, c2.top, 8pg.top and you thereby commit money laundering, contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.?

The defendants were also accused of entering ?the territory of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with a business permit of 30 days duration and failed to leave the Nigerian territory at the expiration of the said permit.

The offence is contrary to the provisions of Section 4 (2) and punishable under Section 44 (1) ? of the Immigration Act 2015.? (NAN)

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