Four female Filipinos have been sentenced to jail by the e Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State following allegations of cyberterrorism and internet fraud.
The foreigners were sentenced following charges against them by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The convicts – Reyna Mae Eriba, Chynna Samonte, Zara Fabian, and Dominique Medina – were convicted alongside seven other Nigerians by Justice Yellim Bogoro on Friday, June 13.
The Nigerian convicts include Chidera Ezechukwu, Favour Oluchukwu, Egwenum Ifeanyi, David Okezie, Gbenga Shittu Solomon, Ibraheem Olamilekan, and Oghomienor Jotham.
Arraigned before the court on individual charges, Somonte was charged with recruiting young Nigerians for identity theft and impersonation. This was done by accessing computer systems across the country in violation of Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024), and Section 2(3)(d) of the Terrorism (Prevention, Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Pleading guilty to all the charges levelled against them by the EFCC, the judge sentenced Eriba, Samonte, Fabian, and Medina to one-year imprisonment each or a fine of N1,000,000.00.
The court also ordered the immediate deportation of the foreigners by the Nigerian Immigration Service.
All proceeds of the crimes and gadgets recovered were also orders to be forfeited to the Nigerian government.
