Arraignment of 109 Foreigners for Cybercrime in Abuja Delayed Due to Lack of Legal Representation

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The arraignment of 109 foreigners accused of cybercrime was postponed on Thursday at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court. The hearing, scheduled before Justice Ekerete Akpan, was delayed due to the defendants' lack of legal representation.


The individuals, identified as citizens from countries including China, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Brazil, Malaysia, and Myanmar, were recently detained by the police. They were arrested at their residence located at Plot 1906, Cadastral Zone 807, Katampe District in Abuja, on allegations of participating in cybercrime by allegedly running “a fraudulent and unregistered gaming platform.”


The foreigners face a six-count charge, listed under case number FHC/ABJ/CR/599/2024, filed by the Inspector-General of Police. They are accused of cybercrime, money laundering, and illegal residency in Nigeria.


During Thursday’s session, the IGP's counsel, A.A. Egwu, indicated readiness for the arraignment. However, Justice Akpan noted the absence of defense lawyers for the accused, prompting an adjournment of the case to November 22 to allow the defendants time to obtain legal counsel.


One of the charges alleges that the defendants conspired to commit cybercrime, in violation of Section 27 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (Amended in 2024). Another charge involves unauthorized access to computer systems, altering or deleting data to create false information, a violation of Section 13 of the same act.


Additionally, they are accused of money laundering for transferring proceeds from operating fraudulent gambling platforms, including 9f.com, c2.top, and 8pg.top. This is in breach of Section 18 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.


The defendants are also charged with overstaying their business permits. They entered Nigeria on 30-day permits and failed to depart after expiration, violating Section 4 (2) of the Immigration Act, 2015, which is punishable under Section 44 (1) (c) of the same act.

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