A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has sentenced 18 foreign nationals to one year in prison each for cybercrime, fraud and impersonation.
The convicts, who were initially arraigned on various charges, altered their pleas to “guilty” under a plea bargain deal reached with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justices Chukwujekwu Aneke and Yellim Bogoro delivered the rulings in two separate proceedings.
The individuals were part of a group of 193 foreign nationals arrested by the EFCC in December 2024 at a seven-storey building on Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. A broader operation uncovered 792 suspects allegedly connected to a global cybercrime and cryptocurrency fraud network.
Justice Aneke sentenced six defendants—Eliza Gapparova, Diana Kadyrbekova, Nasrine Chouaieb, Jiang Han Hua, Liao Zhang, and Genting International Co. Limited—on charges of cyberterrorism, identity theft, and using Nigerian youths to impersonate foreign citizens for fraudulent gain.
The convictions were secured through a plea deal brokered by EFCC prosecutor Zeinat Atiku, with defence attorneys Osuala Nwafbara, Z.S. Makinde, and Peter Taiwo representing the accused.
Justice Bogoro delivered judgment on 12 Philippine nationals—Jean Calatar Maunfo, Donne Reges, Roseann Gonzaus, Mary Grace Dela Piazza Camara, Lari Jane Tayae, Jonilyn Agulto, Jonalyn Mendoza, Anjeannet Topacio, and Arramef Topacio—under the same plea terms.
The court’s decision followed legal arguments from EFCC prosecutors Hanatu Kofanaisa and Temitope Banjo, while Bridget Omateno represented the defence.
The EFCC disclosed that the convicts were members of an international cyber syndicate operating under the name “HK.”
The operation was reportedly extensive, involving over 1,500 laptops and 4,000 mobile phones. The syndicate trained both Nigerian and foreign youths in romance and investment scams, which targeted victims in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and across Europe.
Genting International Company Limited, a corporate front established in mid-2024, allegedly employed 200 Chinese nationals and served as the syndicate’s recruitment and supervisory hub for Nigerian operatives.
The EFCC informed the court that the syndicate ran its operations from the Victoria Island complex disguised as a financial headquarters. The group used Nigerian VPNs to mask their activities and conducted scams via WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, and a fake investment site, http://www.yooto.com, which charged victims fees starting at $35.
One of the defendant’s accounts reportedly received over ₦3.4 billion in fraudulent proceeds.
Under the plea bargain, the convicts were each sentenced to one year in prison, effective from their date of arrest on December 10, 2024.
Additionally, they were fined ₦1 million each. The court ruled that they must be deported within seven days of completing their jail terms and paying the fines.
All mobile phones, laptops, and routers used in the crimes were ordered forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
