Four Filipinos, 8 Nigerians Jailed for Internet Fraud, Money Laundering
Four Filipino nationals and eight Nigerians have been convicted and sentenced for cybercrime-related offenses, including internet fraud and money laundering.
The convicts were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The EFCC prosecution team, led by Anita Imo, presented evidence that the convicts engaged in cyber-terrorism and internet fraud, exploiting unsuspecting victims and laundering the proceeds of their crimes.
The court heard that one of the Nigerian convicts, Chidera Praise Ezechukwu, had N12,750,318.63 in her bank account, which was linked to online dating scams.
Justice Bogoro found all 12 convicts guilty and sentenced them to prison terms with options of fines. The four Filipino nationals – Reyna Mae Eriba, Chyna Samonte, Zara Fabian, and Dominique Medina – were each sentenced to one year imprisonment with an option of a N1 million fine. The Nigerian convicts received similar sentences, with varying fine options.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of all exhibits recovered from the convicts, including vehicles, devices, and funds, to the Federal Government of Nigeria. Additionally, the judge directed the Nigeria Immigration Service to repatriate the Filipino convicts to their country of origin within seven days of completing their prison terms.
The convicted individuals include:
Filipino nationals:
– Reyna Mae Eriba
– Chyna Samonte
– Zara Fabian
– Dominique Medina
Nigerian convicts:
– Chidera Praise Ezechukwu
– Favour Oluchukwu
– Egwenum Ifeanyi
– David Okezie
– Gbenga Shittu Solomon
– Ibraheem Olamilekan
– Chinecher Nichael
– Oghomienor Jotham
The convictions and sentences serve as a warning to those involved in cybercrime-related activities, highlighting the EFCC’s commitment to tackling these crimes and protecting the country’s economic and social structures.
