A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted and sentenced 18 foreign nationals to one year in prison for their roles in a vast international cybercrime syndicate accused of cyberterrorism, fraud, and identity theft.
The convicts, who initially pleaded not guilty, later entered plea bargain agreements with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), leading to their sentencing. The rulings were delivered in two separate judgments by Justices Chukwujekwu Aneke and Yellim Bogoro.
They were part of a wider crackdown in December 2024, during which EFCC operatives arrested 193 foreign nationals at a seven-storey building on Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. In total, 792 suspects were detained in connection with a global cyber and cryptocurrency fraud network.
Justice Aneke sentenced six individuals, Eliza Gapparova, Diana Kadyrbekova, Nasrine Chouaieb, Jiang Han Hua, Liao Zhang, and Genting International Co. Limited on charges of cyberterrorism, identity theft, and using Nigerian youths to impersonate foreigners in elaborate financial scams.
In a parallel judgment, Justice Bogoro sentenced 12 Philippine nationals, Jean Calatar Maunfo, Donne Reges, Roseann Gonzales, Mary Grace Dela Piazza Camara, Lari Jane Tayae, Jonilyn Agulto, Jonalyn Mendoza, Anjeannet Topacio, and Arramef Topacio, under similar charges and terms.
The EFCC revealed that the syndicate operated under the name “HK,” running romance and investment scams that targeted victims across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Europe. The operation reportedly involved over 1,500 laptops and 4,000 phones.
Prosecutors stated that the syndicate trained both Nigerian and foreign youths in fraudulent schemes, masking operations via Nigerian VPNs and platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, and a fake investment website, www.yooto.com, which charged unsuspecting victims entry fees starting from $35.
Genting International Company Limited, allegedly run by the syndicate’s ringleaders and incorporated in mid-2024, was said to have employed over 200 Chinese nationals to recruit and supervise Nigerian operatives.
The EFCC also disclosed that one of the convicts’ accounts received over ₦3.4 billion in illicit proceeds.
Under the terms of the plea deals, each convict is to serve a one-year jail term retroactively effective from their arrest on December 10, 2024. They are also mandated to pay fines of ₦1 million each and will be deported within seven days of completing their sentences and fines.
Additionally, the court ordered the forfeiture of all devices, including phones, laptops, and routers, used in the crimes to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
