Court jails 4 Filipinos, 7 Nigerians for cyber-terrorism, internet fraud

The Federal High Court sitting in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State, on Friday, June 13, 2025, convicted and sentenced four Filipinos and seven Nigerians for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.

The Filipino convicts are Reyna Mae Eriba, Chyna Samonte, Zara Fabian and Dominique Medina, while the Nigerians include Chidera Ezechukwu, Favour Oluchukwu, Egwenum Ifeanyi, David Okezie, Gbenga Shittu Solomon, Ibraheem Olamilekan, and Oghomienor Jotham.

They were prosecuted on separate charges bordering on cyberterrorism and internet fraud by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Samonte charges read: “That you, Chynna Samonte, sometime in December 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, willfully caused to be accessed, computer systems organized to seriously destabilize 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 financial advantage for yourselves and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Ete) Act, 2015 (As amended 2024) and Section 2(3)(d) of the Terrorism (Prevention, Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

They pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to them.

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The prosecution counsel, Anita Imo, S.I.Suleiman, H.U. Kofarnaisa, and B.M. Isah asked the court to convict and sentence the defendants accordingly and for all items recovered from them to be forfeited to the federal government.

The presiding judge, Justice Yellim Bogoro, convicted and sentenced Eriba, Samonte, Fabian, and Medina to one year imprisonment each, with a fine option of N1 million, respectively.

Justice Bogoro also ordered the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service to ensure the Filipinos’ deportation to their country of origin within seven days of their completion of their sentences.

Gbenga bagged one year jail term or to pay the sum of N700,000 fine, while Jotham, Olalekan, Ezechukwu, David, Ifeanyi, and Oluchukwu were sentenced to one year imprisonment each or to pay the sum of N500,000 fine, respectively.

The judge also ruled that all items recovered from the convicts, including cars, communication devices, and money be forfeited to the federal government.

The Star