A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced 18 foreign nationals to one year in prison each for their involvement in cybercrime, fraud, impersonation, and attempts to undermine Nigeria’s constitutional order.
The convicts, initially pleading not guilty, entered guilty pleas under a plea bargain agreement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Justices Chukwujekwu Aneke and Yellim Bogoro delivered the judgments in separate rulings.
The individuals were part of a group of 193 foreigners arrested in December 2024 at a seven-storey building on Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. The EFCC apprehended 792 suspects in total, linked to a global cybercrime and cryptocurrency fraud ring.
Justice Aneke sentenced six defendants—Eliza Gapparova, Diana Kadyrbekova, Nasrine Chouaieb, Jiang Han Hua, Liao Zhang, and Genting International Co. Limited—for cyberterrorism, identity theft, and exploiting Nigerian youths to impersonate foreigners for financial gain.
Justice Bogoro handed similar sentences to 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.
The convictions followed plea deals negotiated by EFCC prosecutors Zeinat Atiku, Hanatu Kofanaisa, and Temitope Banjo, with defence counsel Osuala Nwafbara, Z.S. Makinde, Peter Taiwo, and Bridget Omateno.
According to the EFCC, the convicted individuals were part of a syndicate known as “HK,” which ran a large-scale cyber scam network involving over 1,500 laptops and 4,000 phones. The group allegedly trained both Nigerian and foreign youths in romance and investment frauds targeting victims in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Europe.
The syndicate operated from the Victoria Island building, disguised as a financial firm, and used Nigerian VPNs to mask their online activities. Fraud was carried out via WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, and a fake investment website, yooto.com, which charged victims from $35 upward. One defendant’s account reportedly received over N3.4 billion in proceeds.
Under the plea terms, the convicts’ one-year prison sentences are retroactive to their arrest date, December 10, 2024. Each must also pay a fine of N1 million and will be deported within seven days of completing their sentence and settling the fine.
The court further ordered the forfeiture of all devices used in the crimes to the Federal Government.
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