The Zonal Directorate of Lagos 1 of the Commission of Economic and Financial Crimes, EFCC, on Friday assured the condemnation of four Filipino nationals and seven Nigerians for crimes related to cyber -terrorism and fraud on the Internet.
Judge Yellim Bogoro, of the Federal Superior Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, issued the sentence after separate charges presented by the EFCC against the accused.
The condemned Filipinos are Reyna Mae Eriba, Chynna Samonte, Zara Fabian and Dominique Medina.
Nigerian convicts include Chidera Ezechukwu, favor Oluchukwu, Egwenum Ifeanyi, David Okezie, Gbenga Shittu Solomon, Ibraheem Olamilekan and Oghomienor Jotham.
According to judicial documents, each defendant was prosecuted for individual positions related to cyberrterrorism, identity theft and internet fraud.
In one of the positions, Chynna Samonte was accused of accessing computer systems with the intention of destabilizing Nigeria's economic and social structures through the recruitment of Nigerian young people to obtain identity theft and impersonation schemes aimed at financial gain.
It was said that their actions were in violation of section 18 of the Law of Cyber ​​crimes (prohibition, prevention, etc.), 2015 (amended in 2024) and section 2 (3) (d) of the Terrorism Law (prevention, prohibition), 2022.
Another position against Chidera Ezechukwu Nigeriano claimed that he retained N12,750,318.63 in an UBA account, funds reasonably suspected of being the product of an online dating.
He was accused under section 14 (1) (b) of the Money Laundering Law (prohibition), 2004 (amended) and punishable by virtue of section 14 (2) of the same law.
All the defendants declared themselves guilty of the charges.
After her pleas, the lawyer of the prosecution Anita IMO, if Suleiman, Hu Kafarnaisa and BM Isah urged the court to condemn and sentence the defendants accordingly, and to order the loss of all articles recovered from them to the federal government.
Judge Bogoro sentenced Eriba, Samonte, Fabian and Medina at one year in prison each or a fine of N1,000,000.00.
He also addressed the Comptroller General of the Nigeria immigration service to guarantee his deportation to the Philippines within seven days of completing their respective sentences.
Among the Nigerian convicts, Gbenga Shittu Salomon received a one -year prison sentence or a fine of N700,000.00. The remaining Nigerian defendants: Jotham, Olamilekan, Ezechukwu, David, Ifeanyi and Oluchukwu, were sentenced to a year in prison or an alternative fine of N500,000.00.
Judge Bogoro also ordered that all articles recovered from convicts, including vehicles, communication devices and funds, the federal government of Nigeria are lost.