15 foreigners jailed for cyber-terrorism, internet fraud in Lagos

The Federal High Court sitting in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State has sentenced 15 foreigners to jail.

11 Filipinos, two Chinese, one Malaysian, and one Indonesian were sentenced to one year imprisonment each for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.

The convicts were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on separate charges bordering on possession of fraudulent documents on Friday, May 30, 2025.

The convicted foreigners are Winnie De Jesus, Kayceelynn Remorin, Irish Chna, Darwisa Esmael, Kimberly Nisperos, Savien Cire Renovilla, Zeng Zerong, and Guo Bin.

Others include Jessa Sanchi, Jhena Sarmiento, Rain Torida, Rex Jose Dilag (aka Madison), Tan Soon Kar, Fernando Fu Fang, and Beverlyin Gumayo (aka Veb Sumayo).

One of the counts read: “That you, Winnie De Jesus & Genting International Co. Ltd, sometime in December 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, willfully   caused to be accessed, computer systems organised to seriously destabilise and destroy the fundamental economic and social structure of Nigeria when you procured/employed Nigerian youths for identity theft and to hold themselves out as persons of foreign nationality, with the intent to gain a financial advantage for yourselves and 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.”

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They all pleaded “guilty” to the charges preferred against them.

Following their pleas, the prosecution counsel – N.K.Ukoha, T.J.Banjo, and N.C. Mutfwang – requested that the defendants be convicted as charged.

The judges, Justice Yellim Bogoro and Justice A. O. Owoeye, convicted and sentenced the defendants to one year imprisonment each, with a fine of N1,000,000.

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) was ordered to ensure that the convicted foreigners are repatriated to their countries of origin within seven days upon the completion of their sentences.

The judges also ordered that the devices recovered from the convicts be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The Star