A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the detention of 109 foreign nationals accused of involvement in cybercrime. Justice Ekerete Akpan directed their remand in Kuje and Suleja Correctional Centres on Friday after defense counsel James Onoja, SAN, requested an adjournment to address inaccuracies in the charge sheet.
The suspects, originating from China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, Brazil, Malaysia, and Myanmar, were recently arrested by police.
The court adjourned the case to allow corrections to the documentation, ensuring proper legal proceedings.
They were apprehended in their residence at Plot 1906, Cadestral Zone 807, Katampe District of Abuja, where they were said to be engaging in cybercrime by allegedly promoting “a fraudulent and unregistered gaming platform.”
In a six-count charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/599/2024 filed in the name of the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police, the foreigners were charged with cybercrime, money laundering and unlawfully residing in Nigeria.
At the resumed hearing on Friday, Onoja informed the court that while conducting Know-Your-Customer (KYC) procedures for his clients, he discovered that their actual names were not reflected on the charge sheet.