Justice Yellin Bogoro and Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, have separately convicted and sentenced 11 Filipinos, two Chinese, one Malaysian and one Indonesian to one year imprisonment each for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.

The convicts are Winnie De Jesus, Kayceelynn Remorin, Irish Chna, Darwisa Esmael, Kimberly Nisperos, Savien Cire Renovilla, Zeng Zerong, and Guo Bin.

Others are Jessa Sanchi, Jhena Sarmiento, Rain Torida, Rex Jose Dilag (aka Madison), Tan Soon Kar, Fernando Fu Fang and Beverlyin Gumayo (aka Veb Sumayo).

They were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on separate charges of possession of fraudulent documents.

One of the counts reads: “That you Winnie De Jesus & Genting International Co. Ltd sometimes in December 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court willfully caused to be accessed, computer systems organised to seriously destabilise and destroy the fundamental economic and social structure of Nigeria when you procured/employed Nigerian youths for identity theft and to hold themselves out as persons of foreign nationality, with the intent to gain a financial advantage for yourselves and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As amended 2024) and Section 2(3) (d) of the Terrorism (Prevenion, Prohibition) Act, 2022?.

Another charge read: “That you Kayceelyn Remorin and Genting International Co. Limited on or about the 18th of December 2024 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court willfully caused to be accessed, computer systems organised to seriously destabilise the economic and social structure of Nigeria (which prohibits and prevents cyber and related crimes) when you procured/employed Nigerian youths for identity theft and to hold themselves out as persons of foreign nationality, with the intent to gain financial advantage for yourselves and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 and 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024)”.

Another charge read: “That you, Kayceelyn Remorin, sometime in December 2024 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, with the intent to gain a financial advantage for your employer fraudulently impersonated one ‘Anastacia Lim’ by holding yourself out as such, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) and 27(1)(a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015”.

They all pleaded guilty to the charges when it was read to them on Friday.

In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, N.K. Ukoha, T. J. Banjo and N. C. Mutfwang, respectively, requested that the court convict the defendants as charged, in accordance with the plea bargain they had entered into with the Commission.

Justice Bogoro and Justice Owoeye convicted and sentenced the defendants to one year imprisonment each, with a fine of N1million.

The judges also ordered the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), to ensure that the convicts are repatriated to their country of origin within seven days upon completion of their sentences.

Devices recovered from the defendants were also ordered to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria. (The Guardian)

•[FILES] A lawyer walks through the compound at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi district in Lagos, Nigeria, REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye