The arraignment of 109 foreign nationals charged with cybercrime and money laundering was stalled yesterday at the Federal High Court in Abuja due to the defendants’ inability to secure legal representation.
The foreign nationals, who are reportedly citizens of China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, Brazil, Malaysia, and Myanmar, were arrested by the police in Abuja, where they were allegedly engaged in promoting a fraudulent and unregistered gambling platform.
In a six-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/599/2024, filed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the defendants face charges of cybercrime, money laundering, and illegal residency in Nigeria. When the case was called, the prosecution was ready to proceed, but the defendants were without legal counsel, prompting Justice Ekerete Akpan to adjourn the case to November 22, 2024 to allow them time to secure lawyers.
The charges allege that the defendants conspired to commit cybercrimes by operating fraudulent gambling platforms such as 9f.com, c2.top, and 8pg.top, deceiving people both in Nigeria and abroad into believing these platforms were legitimate. This led to substantial financial losses. In addition to cybercrimes, they are accused of money laundering, involving the movement of fraudulent proceeds outside Nigeria.
The foreigners were also charged with violating Nigerian immigration laws by overstaying their permitted duration without valid residence permits or appropriate visas
