Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on Thursday ordered the remand of 14 Filipinos in prison custody following their arraignment for alleged Cyber-terrorism and Internet Fraud.
The Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had filed criminal charges against the suspects following their arrest.
Mr. Dele Oyewale, Head, Media & Publicity EFCC said in a statement that the defendants are part of the 792-member syndicate of alleged cryptocurrency investment and romance fraud suspects, that were arrested on December 10, 2024 in Lagos by operatives of the EFCC in a surprise operation tagged “Eagle Flush Operation”.
They were charged along with a company, Genting International Co. Ltd, before Justice Kakaki of the Federal High Court.
The defendants are: Marj Maranga, Zara Fabian, Jonalyn Mendoza, Dominique Medina, Rachelle Cabalona, Krystel Aquilesca, Caselyn Pionela, Raizza Camara, Danica Silad, Reyna Mae Eriba, Chynna Samonte, Mary Grace Dela Cruz, Sevien Cire Renovilla, and Rose-Ann Gonzales .
Each of the defendants was arraigned on separate charges in accordance with individual level of involvement on offences
bordering on cybercrimes, cyber-terrorism,impersonation,
possession of documents containing false pretence, and identity theft.
The charge against Dela Cruz reads: “That you, Mary Grace Dela Cruz and Genting International Co. Ltd 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 a financial advantage for yourselves and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As amended 2024) and Section 2(3)(d) of the Terrorism (Prevention, Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
While Krystel Aquilesca charge reads: “That you, Krystel Aquilesca, sometime in December 2024 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, with the intent to gain a financial advantage for your employer fraudulently impersonated one ‘TETEEL’ by holding yourself out as such, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act, 2015.”
They all pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, following which prosecution counsel, M.K Bashir, N.K. Ukoha, and Bilkisu Buhari, separately prayed the court for trial dates and for the defendants to be remanded in a correctional center.
Justice Kakaki adjourned the matter till March 13, 2025 for trial, and ordered that the defendants be remanded in a correctional center.