Shocking Cybercrime Spree: 20 Foreigners Arrested by EFCC

Before Justice Musa Kakaki, the defendants—15 Filipinos, one Indonesian, and four Chinese—were arraigned.

Together with 599 Nigerians, they were among the 193 foreign nationals that were detained in December 2024 in a surprise raid at their hideout, the Big Leaf Building in Victoria Island, Lagos, after the anti-graft agency obtained reliable intelligence.

Nwandu Ukoha, the EFCC's counsel, requested that the charges against the defendants be read during the arraignment so that they might enter a plea.

The charge was delivered through an interpreter, and each defendant entered a not guilty plea in their individual counts.

Additionally, Ukoha requested that the court remand the accused to the Nigeria Correctional Service's custody pending trial.

However, he was opposed by the defendants' attorneys, Bridget Omoteno and BA Ukpai. In order to give the defendants time to consider a plea agreement with the prosecution, they requested a brief adjournment from the court.

Justice Kakaki approved the prosecutor's request after hearing arguments from both sides and remanded the defendants in the Nigerian Correctional Services' custody until their trial. The court postponed the trial to March 18 and 20.

Kayceelyn Remorin, Jonylyn Agulto, Donny Hermanto, Guo Bin, Darwa Esmael, Lari Jane Tayac, Jhena Samiento, Jessa Sai Chui, Rain Torida, Kimbaley Nisperos, Winnie De Jesus, Shairah May Reyes, Gladys Joy May Iba, Jean Calaga, Huo Wen Jie, Zhao Sui Tao, Gong An Penguna Yua, and Anjeannet Topacio are a few of the foreigners who were arraigned.

In the two-count charge against the defendants, it is alleged that on or around December 18, 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court, they and GENTING INTERNATIONAL CO. LIMITED willfully caused computer systems organized to seriously destabilize Nigeria's economic and social structure (which forbids and prevents cyber and related crimes) by hiring Nigerian youths for identity theft and to pose as foreign nationals in order to obtain financial advantage for themselves. This is a violation of Sections 18 and 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024).

The defendants were also alleged to have sometime in December 2024 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with the intent to gain financial advantage for their employer fraudulently impersonated and hold themselves 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.

The defendants were also accused of having committed an offense against and punishable under Sections 22(2)(b) and 27(1)(a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) 

Additionally, it was alleged that the defendants broke Sections 22(2)(b) and 27(1)(a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 by fraudulently impersonating and passing themselves off as such in Lagos, which is under the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, sometime in December 2024, with the intention of profiting financially for their employer.