A federal high court in Lagos has sentenced 15 foreign nationals to one year in prison each for their involvement in cyber-terrorism and internet-related fraud.
The convicted individuals, 11 from the Philippines, two from China, one from Malaysia, and one from Indonesia, were found guilty of charges filed by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), including possession of fraudulent documents and unlawful cyber activities.
Among those sentenced are Winnie De Jesus, Kayceelynn Remorin, and Tan Soon Kar. The EFCC alleged that some of the convicts, operating under the company name Genting International Co. Ltd, deliberately gained unauthorised access to computer systems in Lagos in December 2024. Their actions were said to undermine Nigeria’s economic and social security.
The group was also accused of recruiting Nigerian youths to carry out identity theft and impersonation scams for financial gain. For example, Remorin was charged with impersonating a woman named Anastacia Lim to benefit her employer.
All 15 defendants pleaded guilty, and the court accepted a plea bargain presented by the EFCC prosecutors.
Judges Yellin Bogoro and Alexander Owoeye sentenced each person to one year in prison and fined them ₦1,000,000 (about \$680) each. After serving their time, the convicts are to be deported to their home countries within seven days, according to the court order to Nigeria’s Immigration Service.
Additionally, all electronic devices seized from the group were ordered to be permanently forfeited to the Nigerian government.
The EFCC welcomed the court’s decision as a strong message against foreign-backed cybercrime operations within Nigeria.
Leave a Reply Cancel reply