Justices Yellin Bogoro and Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday, May 30, 2025, convicted and sentenced fifteen foreign nationals to one year imprisonment each for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.
The convicts—comprising eleven Filipinos, two Chinese nationals, one Malaysian, and one Indonesian—were prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on separate charges of possession of fraudulent documents, identity theft, and impersonation.
List of Convicted Individuals:
One of the charges against Winnie De Jesus and Genting International Co. Ltd reads:
“That you, WINNIE DE JESUS and GENTING INTERNATIONAL CO. LTD, sometime in December 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, willfully accessed computer systems organized to seriously destabilize and destroy the fundamental economic and social structure of Nigeria when you procured or employed Nigerian youths for identity theft and to hold themselves out as persons of foreign nationality, with the intent to gain a financial advantage. You thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (as amended 2024) and Section 2(3)(d) of the Terrorism (Prevention, Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
Another count alleged that Kayceelynn Remorin fraudulently impersonated one “Anastacia Lim” with intent to gain financial advantage—an act in violation of Sections 22(2)(b) and 27(1)(a) of the Cybercrimes Act.
The defendants all pleaded guilty to the charges. Following their plea, EFCC counsels N.K. Ukoha, T.J. Banjo, and N.C. Mutfwang urged the court to convict and sentence the defendants in line with the plea bargain agreements.
The judges sentenced each defendant to one year in prison, with an option of a ₦1,000,000 (One Million Naira) fine.
In addition, the court ordered the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to ensure the deportation of the convicts to their respective home countries within seven days of completing their jail terms.