Two judges of the Federal High Court in Lagos, Justice Yellin Bogoro and Justice Alexander Owoeye, on Friday, convicted and sentenced 15 foreigners to one year imprisonment each for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.
The convicts include 11 Filipinos: Winnie De Jesus, Kayceelynn Remorin, Irish Chna, Darwisa Esmael, Kimberly Nisperos, Savien Cire Renovilla, Jessa Sanchi, Jhena Sarmiento, Rain Torida, Rex Jose Dilag (aka Madison), and Beverlyin Gumayo (aka Veb Sumayo), as well as two Chinese nationals, Zeng Zerong and Guo Bin, one Malaysian, Tan Soon Kar, and one Indonesian, Fernando Fu Fang.
They were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on separate charges bordering on possession of fraudulent documents and cybercrimes. The EFCC told the court that the offences were committed in Lagos State, sometime in December 2024.
According to the anti-graft agency, Winnie De Jesus and a corporate entity, Genting International Co. Ltd, willfully accessed computer systems intended to destabilise and destroy Nigeria’s economic and social structure.
The commission alleged that De Jesus procured Nigerian youths to engage in identity theft, instructing them to pose as foreigners with the intent to secure financial gain.
Similarly, Kayceelynn Remorin, in collaboration with Genting International Co. Ltd, was accused of engaging in a similar scheme.
She reportedly facilitated the use of Nigerian youths for identity theft and misrepresentation, with the objective of financial exploitation.
The court also heard that Remorin, in a separate act, impersonated one ‘Anastacia Lim’ to fraudulently gain a financial advantage for her employer.
EFCC stated that the offences committed contravened Sections 18, 22(2)(b), and 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024), and Section 2(3)(d) of the Terrorism (Prevention, Prohibition) Act, 2022.
All the convicts pleaded guilty to the charges against them.
Following their pleas, the prosecution counsel N.K. Ukoha, T.J. Banjo, and N.C. Mutfwang urged the court to convict them in line with the plea bargains they entered into with the commission.
Justice Bogoro and Justice Owoeye convicted them and sentenced each of the convicts to one year imprisonment, with an option of a N1 million fine.
The judges also directed the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service to repatriate the convicts to their respective countries within seven days of completing their sentences.
Also, all devices recovered from the convicts were ordered to be forfeited to the Federal Government.
