The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday fixed July 2 for the trial of 109 foreigners accused of involvement in high-level cybercrime and hacking activities that are said to be threatening the nation’s security.
The matter could not proceed as scheduled due to the absence of the trial judge, Justice Ekerete Akpan, who was reportedly on another official engagement. The case was the only matter on the day’s cause list.
Subsequently, the court rescheduled the trial for July 2 and July 3.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Akpan had previously, on Nov. 29, 2024, granted the foreigners bail set at N1 billion with five sureties.
“The judge, who granted them bail, directed that the five sureties must have a landed property worth N200,000 million each.”
The judge further instructed that the sureties must deposit the original and verified documents of their landed property with the deputy registrar of the court.
Additionally, the judge mandated the sureties to deposit their international passports. While the male defendants were remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre, the female defendants were to be kept at Keffi Correctional Centre in Nasarawa State pending the perfection of their bail terms.
The 109 foreigners, who were arraigned on a six-count charge, all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The foreigners are reportedly citizens of China, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Brazil, Malaysia, and Myanmar. They were arrested in 2024 by the police and apprehended at their residence at Plot 1906, Cadastral Zone 807, Katampe District of Abuja, where they were allegedly engaged in cybercrime by promoting “a fraudulent and unregistered gaming platform”.
In the six-count charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/599/2024, filed in the name of the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police, the foreigners are charged with cybercrime, money laundering, and unlawfully residing in Nigeria.
“In one of the counts, they were alleged to have aided, abetted, and conspired among themselves ‘to commit an offence, to wit; cybercrime.”
The offence is said to be punishable under Section 27(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024).
Additionally, they were alleged to have “accessed a computer, network, and input with the intention that such inauthentic data would be considered or acted upon as if they were authentic or genuine.”
This offence is said to be punishable under Section 13 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024).
The defendants are also accused of removing from Nigeria proceeds generated from operating fraudulent and unregistered gambling platforms, including:
“These platforms are 9f.com, c2.top, and 8pg.top, and you thereby commit money laundering, contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
Moreover, they are accused of entering Nigeria with a business permit of 30 days’ duration and failing to leave the country at the expiration of their permit, an offence punishable under Section 4(2) and Section 44(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 2015.
