Lagos Court Jails Four Filipinos, Seven Nigerians For Cyberterrorism, Internet Fraud (Photos)
The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday secured the conviction of four Filipino nationals and seven Nigerians over crimes linked to cyberterrorism and internet fraud.
Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, delivered the judgment following separate charges filed by the EFCC against the defendants.
The convicted Filipinos are Reyna Mae Eriba, Chynna Samonte, Zara Fabian, and Dominique Medina.
The Nigerian convicts include Chidera Ezechukwu, Favour Oluchukwu, Egwenum Ifeanyi, David Okezie, Gbenga Shittu Solomon, Ibraheem Olamilekan, and Oghomienor Jotham.
According to court documents, each defendant was arraigned on individual charges relating to cyberterrorism, identity theft, and internet fraud.
In one of the charges, Chynna Samonte was accused of accessing computer systems with the intent to destabilize Nigeria’s economic and social structures by recruiting Nigerian youths for identity theft and impersonation schemes aimed at financial gain.
Her actions were said to be in violation of Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024), and Section 2(3)(d) of the Terrorism (Prevention, Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Another charge against Nigerian national Chidera Ezechukwu alleged that he retained N12,750,318.63 in a UBA account, funds reasonably suspected to be proceeds of an online dating scam.
He was charged under Section 14(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 (as amended) and punishable under Section 14(2) of the same law.
All defendants pleaded guilty to the charges.
Following their pleas, prosecution counsel Anita Imo, S.I. Suleiman, H.U. Kofarnaisa, and B.M. Isah urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly, and to order the forfeiture of all items recovered from them to the Federal Government.
Justice Bogoro sentenced Eriba, Samonte, Fabian, and Medina to one year imprisonment each or a fine of N1,000,000.00.
He also directed the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service to ensure their deportation to the Philippines within seven days of completing their respective sentences.
Among the Nigerian convicts, Gbenga Shittu Solomon received a sentence of one year imprisonment or a fine of N700,000.00. The remaining Nigerian defendants: Jotham, Olamilekan, Ezechukwu, David, Ifeanyi, and Oluchukwu, were each sentenced to one year imprisonment or an alternative fine of N500,000.00.
Justice Bogoro also ordered that all items recovered from the convicts, including vehicles, communication gadgets, and funds, be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
