Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the deportation of four Filipino nationals convicted of cyber-related crimes.
The judge also sentenced seven Nigerians for their involvement in internet fraud and cyberterrorism.
According to a statement released yesterday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the four foreign nationals—Reyna Mae Eriba, Chynna Samonte, Zara Fabian, and Dominique Medina —were found guilty of engaging in activities intended to destabilise Nigeria’s digital and socio-economic systems.
READ ALSO: Judicial activities halted in Ondo as court workers begin indefinite strike
The court further directed the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to ensure that the four are returned to the Philippines within seven days of completing their prison terms.
Meanwhile, the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Command 1 also secured convictions against seven Nigerians: Chidera Ezechukwu, Favour Oluchukwu, Egwenum Ifeanyi, David Okezie, Gbenga Shittu Solomon, Ibraheem Olamilekan, and Oghomienor Jotham.
The individuals were prosecuted separately on charges linked to cybercrime and related offences.
In one of the charges brought against Samonte, the court heard that: “That you, Chynna Samonte, sometime in December 2024, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, willfully caused to be accessed, computer systems organized to seriously destabilize and destroy the fundamental economic and social structure of Nigeria when you procured/employed Nigerian youths for identity theft and to hold themselves out as persons of foreign nationality with the intent to gain financial advantage for yourselves and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Ete) Act, 2015 (As amended 2024) and Section 2(3)(d) of the Terrorism (Prevention, Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
She was accused of orchestrating a scheme that involved recruiting Nigerian youths for identity theft operations designed to disrupt the country’s social and economic fabric.
Another charge, levelled against Ezechukwu, stated: “That you, Chidera Ezechukwu, sometime in May 2025 at Lagos, within the Judicial Division of this Honourable Court, did retain the sum of N12,750,318.63 (Twelve Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Three Hundred and Eighteen Million, million, Sixty-three Kobo) in your UBA account with account number 2330149541, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful act to wit: engaging in an online dating scam and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 as amended and punishable under Section 14(2) of the same Act.”
Upon arraignment, all defendants pleaded guilty to the offences.
Following this, EFCC prosecutors Anita Imo, S.I. Suleiman, H.U. Kofarnaisa, and B.M. Isah urged the court to convict and sentence the accused individuals, and to order the forfeiture of assets recovered from them.
Justice Bogoro consequently sentenced Eriba, Samonte, Fabian, and Medina to one year’s imprisonment each, with an option of a ₦1 million fine.
READ ALSO: Appeal court dismisses APC bid to relist Osun LG election appeal
Among the Nigerians, Gbenga Shittu Solomon received a one-year sentence or a ₦700,000 fine, while the remaining six—Jotham, Olalekan, Ezechukwu, David, Ifeanyi, and Oluchukwu—were handed one-year jail terms each or an alternative fine of ₦500,000.
In addition, the court ordered that all recovered items, including vehicles, mobile devices, and funds, be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
